Pyrrhic
by Storm0Wolf
Summary: The multiverse theory explains that for every reality, there is a slight variation. In one reality, Madara loses all but one of his brothers before the age of twelve and once Izuna dies, Madara succumbs to a darkness that will infect the Shinobi world for hundreds of years. In this reality, Madara's brothers are alive and well. Warring Clan Era AU.
1. Chapter 1

The trees always looked particularly beautiful at sunset. Big red and yellow leaves floating down to the ground with every small burst of wind as small rodents and birds hopped about on the forest floor. Their little steps crunched leaves with every movement as they picked and plucked the insects from underneath. Matsu squinted his eyes as a small ray of sun broke through the trees directly into his face. Lifting up his hand to block the offending light, Matsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His heart beat steadily in his chest, and if he concentrated he could feel his body pulse with it.

"I'm bored," a familiar voice whined, breaking Matsu's concentration. Not even bothering to sigh, Matsu let his arm drop and sat up on the rock he was laying on. His twin brother watched him with a pout, and Matsu gave his brother a small smile.

"Good. If you weren't, that would be bad," Matsu hummed, only to gasp as he was tackled by a heavy body that knocked the air out of his chest. The boys rolled around in the leaves, their laughter scaring off the rodents and drawing the attention of the birds. Matsu tried to force his brother off, but failed as he was rolled onto his back and his brother sat on him.

"I win again, little brother!" the boy slapped a hand down on the center of Matsu's back, smirking when it got a yelp out of his little brother.

"Quit it, Iku!" Matsu twisted up his face, trying to make his voice serious, but started laughing again as Iku's finger danced over his ribcage. It was nice, to just relax and play with his brother. A stern voice in the back of his mind, one that sounded vaguely like their father, reminded him that he was not supposed to be having fun. Tapping out, Matsu admitted defeat. Iku jumped off him, grinning so widely he almost looked like he was faking it. It was always interesting to see how many more genuine expressions Iku could make. Even though they had the same appearance, Matsu wondered if something was wrong with the muscles in his face because he could not make half the faces Iku could.

"What are you two doing?" A voice cracked at their backs like a whip, and the twins jumped up and stood up straight, shoulders touching. The voice belonged to their squad leader, Kinpu. He crossed his arms over his chest as he glared down at the two boys before him. Matsu resisted the urge to look away or fidget. Kinpu considered it bad manners.

"Heavens help us if they're the future of the clan," the woman behind Kinpu drawled, not particularly caring, "Can't even complete a simple patrol without getting distracted." She yawned, scratching the back of her head. Mitsu could feel the heat spreading over his face all the way up to his ears, his fingers started twitching automatically and he wished he had something to fiddle with. A warm hand brushed against Mitsu's and he instantly felt calm, Iku was there. Iku would always be there.

"Honestly, I expected better from Lord Tajima's children." Kinpu's nose flared and deep, ugly lines appeared on his face. Matsu did not feel anxious this time though, and both boys quietly watched the older man as he took a deep breath and walked past them. "We'll be returning to the compound now, and I'm going to have a talk with your father."

"Fun," Iku muttered, and the two boys jumped into the trees, trying to keep the hard pace Kipu set. Shocks of pain shot up Matu's leg when he landed particularly hard on one branch, but he did not have time to think about it. His breathing was getting faster and faster, the legs in his muscles felt tight under the skin. Glancing over, he felt a bit of jealously at the absolutely elated smile on Iku's face as he easily soared from branch to branch, long dark blue hair snapping in the wind. Matsu squinted his eyes a bit a pushed off harder. He was falling behind. The woman checked behind her and saw Mitsu struggling, but she said nothing and kept going. Mitsu was not surprised. He was at that age where the adults no longer gave him any mercy. They would push him hard on these patrol missions to build up his strength for when he was sent out to a battlefield for the first time. His heart started to burn in his chest, and he could feel it pumping blood as best it could. They weren't much further now, when he breathed in he could smell something that reminded him of home. A mixture of burning wood and vegetables, and he found the strength to push a bit harder and fully catch up with the others right before they descended to the ground.

A large, imposing stone gate towered over them, and Matsu had to keep his mouth from dropping open every time he looked at it. Even though he had been going on patrols for almost two years now, he always found the outside of the gate to be a spectacular sight. On the inside, the wall was white and lined with weeds and flowers on the inside. He and his brothers would race along the side, using the cracks as finish lines. On the outside, the gate was covered with dirt and scorched black in different areas. There were obviously damaged holes that were freshly filled in, and on the opening was a large black flag with an Uchiha crest in the center.

Kinpu waved at the guards up top, and the gate doors opened just enough for them to pass though. The woman bowed to Kinpu, gave a small wave to the boys and disappeared before their eyes. As soon as she left, Kinpu turned and gave a report to one of the guards. While he was distracted Iku intertwined his fingers in Matsu's and gave his little brother a wink before slowly backing away from Kinpu. There were no trees here; Matsu's footsteps were almost silent of the bare dirt as he let his brother pull him backwards. Then all of a sudden, Iku spun him around and grabbed his wrist tightly. Iku's eyes twinkled as he started running into the nearest street, and Matsu could not help but smile back at him as he heard Kinpu scream at them.

"This way!" Iku laughed, letting Matsu's wrist go as he darted down an alley. They stopped, and Matsu leaned against a wooden stall, his chest rising and falling quickly as he let himself sink to the ground. Iku peaked around the side and nodded in satisfaction when he was sure Kinpu was not going to try to follow them.

"He's still gonna tell Father, you know?" Matsu squeezed his eyes shut trying to catch his breath. He did not know how his brother had so much energy.

"Tell Father, what?" Matsu jumped to his feet. He was really starting to regret not spending more time working on his sensory abilities. In front of him, the twins second oldest brother, Izuna was staring at them with big curious eyes. "You guys didn't upset Kinpu again did you?"

"Well," Matsu stuttered out, but stopped when Izuna frowned and put his hands on his hips, poking his finger in Matsu's face.

"You're supposed to take these patrol's seriously. Just because Kinpu is there with you doesn't mean you can goof off, an enemy could come out from anywhere."

"But patrols are so boring, Izuna!" Iku whined, his shoulders slumping forward as he slowly went to Matsu's side. The two boys felt most comfortable within two feet of each other. When they walked down the streets they could hear the whispers of the adults saying they were too old to still be so attached, but they did not mind. Matsu and Iku were best friends and brothers; it was the best thing in the world, why would they not spend all their time together?

"Yeah, when do we get to go out on cool missions like you and Inaba and Madara?" Matsu jutted his lip out just a bit, crossing his tiny arms over his chest. Izuna sighed and bopped them both on the head, smiling when it got indignant protest from his younger brothers. Matsu smoothed out his hair as Iku started loudly complaining.

"Hopefully, not for a long time." Izuna still had a smile on his face, but Matsu could see the way his shoulders slumped as he said it. He looked tired as he listened to Iku rant and rave about how he wanted to prove himself against the Senju too. Feeling the autumn winds brushing across his face, Matsu looked back towards the street. There weren't many men out today, mostly older women with young children on their hip or toddling behind them. He could not remember if there was a meeting today, he rarely remembered since he was still too young to participate, so there must have be some other big mission going on.

"Stupid, don't ignore me!" Iku screamed in Matsu's ear. Slapping his hand over the abused ear, Matsu swatted at Iku's arm with an annoyed grunt. Reaching over, Izuna grabbed both boys by the wrist and pulled them on separate sides of him before another scrimmage could break out and dragged them home, promising to tell them a story about his last mission if they behaved.

Izuna dragged them back home, they opened the door to their father, Tajima, Lord of the Uchiha Clan, sitting across from a smug looking Kinpu. When he turned to look at them, the twins shamelessly hid behind Izuna, their father's second favorite child, in the hopes that he would not punish them too harshly.

Tajima Uchiha was not an unreasonable man, but he had five young boys running around his home and only two of them appeared to be competent in any useful way so he was quickly growing tired of the other three. Inaba said it was because Tajima did not understand how such dedicated and serious people such as himself and his wife could produce three naughty boys who were often more trouble than what it cost to feed them. Inaba actually used other words to describe their parents, but Madara cuffed him upside the head and forbid the twins from ever even thinking of those words.

"Iku, Matsu, come here now." Tajima spoke slowly, his deep voice rumbling in this chest as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Matsu's feet began to move before Tajima even finished the command, Iku shuffled behind him as they approached their father and peeved patrol leader. Turning back to Kinpu, Tajima sighed, "Matsu, stop hiding behind Iku and stand up straight."

The twins said nothing when their eyes met, best not to say something that might be interpreted as disrespectful. Iku moved to stand next to Matsu, brushing his pony tail over his shoulder in the hopes that their father would notice that he was not Matsu. If Tajima did notice, he did not let on.

"I hate to do this Lord Tajima, but I can't have them on my patrol if they're going to be goofing off. I need to think about the other members of our team who could get hurt if the twins aren't paying attention and an enemy manages to slip past them, or worse, kills them." Kinpu stared Tajima right in the eye as he said it, as confident and cold as ever.

"I understand completely, Captain. Thank you for working with them as long as you did." Tajima folded his hands in his lap and nodded his dismissal. With that, Kinpu stood up, bowed at his waist and quickly left, not even looking at Matsu or Iku. As the door closed behind him, the room was silent. Matsu could hear his heart beat again, thundering quickly in his ribcage, and wondered if Iku's was beating just as fast. Probably not.

"Father," Izuna started but stopped when Tajima slammed his fist into the floor. Gulping, Matsu instinctively moved a bit closer to Iku, feeling his father's chakra radiating out like an angry whip. It was moments like this when he was thankful he did not pay much thought to devolving his sensory abilities, imagine if he could feel the full force of his father's stinging chakra.

"Izuna," Tajima's voice was low, bitter, "Leave." There was nothing Izuna could do for Matsu and Iku now, they would have to face their father's wrath without him. The door slid shut behind Izuna, and the twins were now alone with their father. Matsu's heart was beating so fast it almost hurt and his fingers silently tapped against his legs. Swallowing thickly, Iku stood up a bit taller as Tajima closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Neither twin wanted to break the silence, but Matsu had read in one of Madara's scrolls that a preemptive strike was better than waiting for the enemy to gather their forces.

"We're sorry, Lord Father. We know,"

"Silence, boy." Tajima snapped, cutting off Matsu with a snarl as he stood up and marched over to tower over his children, "Do you two find it amusing to humiliate me like this?"

"Well maybe if you let us go on real missions, we wouldn't be so bored all the time!" Iku crossed his arms over his chest and stared directly into his father's black eyes that were so much deeper than his own. A crack echoed against the walls, the force of Tajima's smack throwing Iku to the ground. Gasping, Matsu dropped to his knees and grabbed his brother's shoulder, being as gentle as possible as he looked over Iku's fresh wound. The eldest twin had his eyes scrunched closed as he brought a hand up to gently touch the area, flinching at the instant stream of pain.

"You are far too old to act so immaturely. You're nine years old and you two still can't complete a basic patrol mission. If I was to send you out to the field now, I have no doubt in my mind you'd both be killed before you could even draw your swords." Tajima hissed, balling the hand he used to strike Iku into a fist. It must have been frustrating for him, Matsu imagined, having two nine year old sons who were still unfit for combat. He knew that would not have usually stopped Tajima from sending them out into the field, if for no other reason than to scare the twins to take their training seriously. However, Tajima's heir and favorite child, Madara convinced him to give the twins more time to develop. It was only because of Madara's intervention and the lack of young boys being born lately that allowed the twins to survive this long. There were only twelve or so children younger than them right now, with three more on the way.

"We're sorry, Lord Father," Matsu could feel the stutter in his voice and hated it, "We'll do better next time, we won't disappoint you again." Matsu bowed his head, trying at appease Tajima, hoping their father would have something else he needed to do.

"This is not something a simple apology can fix," Tajima turned away from them, walking back to his seat and settling down. "I can not allow insubordination to be forgiven so easily, and even if I could, I have very little interest in subjecting another one of my Captains to your childish behavior." Iku opened his eyes but kept them on the floor, his hand pressed gently to his cheek as Matsu pulled him up so they were standing again. Tajima watched them quietly.

"We understand, we'll take any punishment you see fit." The words stung his throat like acid, but he forced them out anyway. Matsu had better manners, so he talked to father. Iku had better, well, assertive skills so he talked to everyone else.

"If it was up to me, I'd split you two up. I feel like that would solve many problems." The twins flinched, eyes wide as they felt a drop of real fear, "However, knowing you two it would completely backfire. Instead, you'll be removed from patrol duty and be in charge of cleaning and reorganizing the library. You'll also be confined to the compound for the next month. I won't waste my time training either of you, I'll find a suitable teacher." Tajima stood up and walked out of the room, his long coat fluttering behind him. When the boys were alone, Iku stomped his foot, letting out a small frustrated cry.

"Not so loud!" Matsu whined, eyes shifting back to the door, praying it didn't slam open. "We got off easy. That could have been worse."

"What's worse than being stuck in the compound like a bunch of civilians?" Iku snapped, tugging lightly on his pony tail, his teeth bared as he looked at the ground in frustration.

"Iku?" Matsu prompted, reaching out to touch his twin's shoulder, but Iku twisted away.

"He said we're a waste of time." Even though he could no longer see his twin's face, Matsu could hear the tears in Iku's voice. Dropping his hand, Matsu stared at the space where their father was previously sitting as his brother cried. Iku hated it when Matsu saw him crying, it made him feel like less of a big brother. Iku wanted nothing more in the world than to win the approval of his father, but he couldn't. His father valued talent and streangth, which is something he had, but not as much as his older brothers. Madara and Izuna were his father's favorite children, and Iku and Matsu knew they would never be able to match up to their natural talents.

It was not like they did not try. Iku would train from sun up to sun down if no one stopped him, his breathing harsh and soaked in sweat when Matsu dragged them both home at the end of the day. With every punch thrown, Iku's eyes burned with determination and excitement, with a dash of frustration. No matter how many seconds he could hold his own against Madara or Izuna, their father was never pleased, because Iku would always lose. If Matsu hated his father for anything, it would be the way he sighed and walked away every time Iku was defeated.

"I'm sorry, Iku." Matsu knew better than to tell his brother not to listen to their father, it was better to just let him blow off steam during a spar, "Do you want to go out to the training fields?"

"Nah, besides, I know you're still tired from the trip back," Matsu wiped his face and gave Matsu a bright smile. "Lets go find Izuna and wash up, you stink."

"You stink!"

When they found Izuna, they also found Madara and Inaba, and pestered them until they came to the bathhouse too. After cleaning up, the boys decided to take the long way back around the edges of the compound. Matsu combed his fingers through his hair, blinking rapidly when little flecks of water were flicked onto his face. He hatd having his hair long, but Iku loved the way it looked when he was fighting, so they kept it. It wasn't so bad, at least they're hair was straight like their mother's and not spikey and thick like their father's and brother's hair.

"I can't wait to get home and sleep, I'm so tired." Inaba yawned, his hands laced together behind his head as he slowly walked behind the twins. The official middle child had his eyes looking up at the sky. The moon was out now, and the air was growing colder by the second. It was nice.

"Don't forget we have the clan meeting tonight." Madara glanced back at his brothers over his shoulder, "Father wants the three of us to be there."

"And don't think of skipping out either," Izuna stuck his tongue out at him, "I won't cover for you this time."

"Shut up, I know!" Inaba stuck his tongue out too, and Izuna started to make funny faces. Madara grunted as a weight slammed into his back but did not fall. Instead he just allowed Iku to climb all over him for a moment before shrugging him off. Inaba paused in his competition with Izuna for a moment, "Come on, Madara, don't be so rough with Mitsu."

"I'm Mitsu," Mitsu narrowed his eyes as Iku laughed and went back to Mitsu's side, his eyes blazing with despicable satisfaction. He loved it when people could not tell them apart, it made him feel closer to Mitsu. Inaba's face turned red and he muttered an apology, more so to Mitsu than to Iku. The youngest brother, Mitsu, did not mind being confused for Iku, unless it was by his other brothers.

"It can just be really hard to tell you guys apart when your hair is down," Trying to explain himself, Inaba looked to Madara and Izuna for help, but Izuna's wide grin and Madara's blank face told him that he was on his own. Mitsu gingerly touched his hair, huffed, and started braiding the section that was in the ponytail.

"There," Mitsu was noticeably irritated, so Madara turned around and pat him on the head.

"Don't make that face, Inaba's an idiot, he can't help it." Madara smiled when Inaba screeched in protest and a shy smile broke out on Mitsu and Iku's faces. Madara stopped walking, and Iku nearly bumped into him. A man kneeled before Madara and Izuna, his eyes closed as he held out a white scroll sealed with a bright red spot of wax. Even from here, Mitsu knew it was from Father.

"Young Lord, your Father has requested the presence of you and Izuna in the council building." The man's voice was gravelly, as if he smoked for many years. Mitsu did not recognize him at all, which was odd because he thought he familiar with at least the majority of the clans fighters. Madara and Izuna exchanged looks, but Mitsu was unsure of what they were thinking. They both looked serious, far more serious than they did only moments before when they were laughing together. Iku moved closer to Mitsu, their hands brushed together as Inaba placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

"What about Inaba? Has the general meeting for tonight been moved?" Madara spoke for all of them, but none of them would have had it any other way. The man bowed his head a bit deeper, and Inaba's fingers dug a bit deeper into Mitsu's shoulder.

"Lord Tajima only requested Lord Madara and Izuna. The general meeting has been canceled, your father requires your presence ugently." Madara nodded to the man, and the brothers were alone again. Dread hung over them, and the moment of peace and laughter was gone, Mitsu almost wanted to cry. They were becoming rarer and rarer everyday now. Turning back to face his youngest brothers, Madara sighed, scratching the back of his head before making eye contact with Inaba.

"Inaba, take the twins home." Inaba stood up ramrod straight as Madara's voice turned serious. Iku raised an eyebrow at Mitsu, but Mitsu only shook his head. He did not know either.

"Is something going on?" Iku demanded an answer, look around at all his brothers with an adorable pout on his face.

"Can we help?" Mitsu added, staring directly at Madara. The eldest brother shook his head, and patted Mitsu on the head one more time.

"Everything is fine, just go home with Inaba."

"We'll see you in the morning," Izuna promised, "Don't get in any more trouble!"

"More trouble?" Madara lifted an eyebrow and looked directly at Iku, who only smiled innocently and grabbed Mitsu's wrist. With a spark in his eye, Iku took off dragging Mitsu behind him. Inaba shrugged at Madara and went off to chase them through the compound.

Watching them go, Madara hesitated before turning to look back at Izuna. They jumped, and disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

Matsu did not want to go to the front lines. Clansmen stumbled into the gate, some supporting their comrades on their shoulders as other carried back uncovered bodies. The smell of metal, blood, and urine permeated the air and traveled so far into the compound that everyone knew that their loved ones were back from the battle. Family members flowed out of the streets, helping to tend to some of the wounded while keeping an eye out to see if they could spot their father's or sister's corpse being lined up near the wall.

Matsu sat silently on one of the many rooftops, eyes staring straight at the gate as he patiently waited to catch a glimpse of their brothers. Iku used his hands to shield his eyes as the sun beat down on their backs. It was an unusually warm day, but their mother still made them wear long sleeves and a high collar. Swallowing, Matsu felt a rock settle in his gut as he watched an older woman help her wounded daughter inside the house. She was covered in blood, still wet and dripping off of her onto the dirt road. Matsu felt sick when he realized why. The girl's right hand was missing, the open wound where her elbow should be was hurriedly bandaged and the blood had already soaked though. Scooting over a bit, Matsu's shoulder brushed against Iku and he felt a little less nauseous.

Whenever the warriors returned to battle, Iku liked to go out and wait for their brothers near the gate. He did not mind the smells and the cries that came from being this close to the gate when people first arrived. Days like this always felt like an eternity to Matsu though. Every deep red gash that exposed pearly white bone and every mangled dead body was a stark reminder of his future. Well not just his future, Matsu glanced at his twin, their future. Iku's eyes were focused on the gate, ignoring the horror of everything around them. He was only concerned with spotting their older brothers. Sighing, Matsu tried to be more like him and tune out the bad, but as soon as his eyes landed on the gate, they would drift back to the old man crying over the body of his son and the piles of blood in the street. His heart rate was rising, and Matsu put a hand over his chest in a futile attempt to calm down. It was shameful to be feeling this. Nausea and fear and desperation at the sight of open wounds and carnage.

Matsu had been in battles before. On patrols they would encounter a Senju or enemy that boldly wondered to far into the territory. He also encountered a few bounty hunters and collectors as well, hoping to make off with the Sharingan. The battles never lasted long, they would fight, but Kinpu would usually end the fight within moments of getting involved. There was never any real danger, Iku was by his side and Kinpu was only moments away. It was different out there, the battlefield sounded chaotic and confusing. Father often told Matsu after a bout of training that he could not rely on the strength of his brothers to keep him safe out there; he needed to be strong enough to protect himself.

"Ah there they are!" Iku jumped to his feet and pointed to the last few Uchiha shuffling though the gate. Their father stood proudly, covered in filth but a firm, determined ferocity blaze in his eyes. Madara, Izuna, and Inaba followed closely behind him, their clothes were torn and they were absolutely filthy. Their eyes lacked the fire of Tajima's. Iku leapt off the roof, soaring through the air for a moment before running up to his returning family.

Tajima's eyes widened a bit when he saw Iku running towards them, Matsu trailing behind him only two or three strides. Though he would never admit it outloud, it eased his heart to see their concerned faces pop up every time he returned home from a mission or from battle. It was sweet, and it showed that they still cared for him, even if he was rather hard on them. It was for their own good though, and even if one day soon their eyes would lose that innocent shine and start to burn with resentment for him, he would do what was best for them. Even if it meant they might grow to begrudge him much like their elder brothers already did.

"Father, you're home!" Iku gulped in air as fast as he could, smiling though the burning sensation in his lungs. Matsu jogged to a stop behind him, his breathing even as he did not sprint as fast as his twin.

"I thought you weren't due back till next week?" Matsu did not meet Tajima's eyes, but instead stared at the loose bandages around Tajima's forehead.

"Things changed." Tajima curtly replied and then turned his back on the twins to face his three other sons. Iku pouted, one of his cheeks puffing out in frustration as Tajima ignored him. Inaba stood stiffly, barely paying attention as his black eyes focused on a pregnant wife wailing over the body of her husband. The body was covered with a brown sheet, and only his feet poked out. Her dark purple curls spilled over her shoulders as she crouched over his body, her sobs wracked her body with every inconsistent gasp of air until another woman, old and grey, dragged her away.

"Go home and tend to your injuries, I'll see you all tonight." Tajima paused and turned to look at Inaba, who was still looking far away. "Inaba," Tajima's voice was gentle, and Inaba flinched when his eyes met his Tajima's, "You did well." Inaba's small hands balled into fist, and he tilted his face down so no one could see the tears slipping out of his eyes. Sighing, Tajima reached out, paused, and pulled his hand back to his side. Turning on his heel, he walked away to find one of his Captains.

Iku and Matsu stood awkwardly as Inaba continued to cry. Placing a hand on the center of Inaba's back, Izuna tried to comfort him silently. Standing by their side, Madara's hands were balled into fist, and his jaw was tight. He was by far the least injured, but rage explode in his stomach with every hiccupping sob that Inaba let out. It tore his body to pieces to see the innocence another one of his brothers stolen away on the battlefield. It was Inaba's first time out on the front lines as they faced off against the Senju. The clashes between the Uchiha and Senju were legendarily brutal, with high casualties on both sides guaranteed. The three brothers tried to stay close together when they engaged the enemy, Madara keeping a close eye on Inaba as he stumbled though his first battle. Closing his eyes, Madara let out a ragged breath and relaxed his hands. This was not the time to be angry. The twins were lost and anxious looking at the normally lazy and awkward Inaba sobbing as snot ran down his face. A small breeze came from the north, and Madara took one more breath before taking a few steps towards Inaba.

"Inaba, look at me," Madara tried to sound sure and strong, but his voice cracked, hopefully they would not notice. Inaba whimpered, rubbed his face with the back of his hand before he looked at Madara, tears still rolling down his fat ten year old cheeks. Madara placed his hands on Inaba's shoulders, his finger's digging into Inaba's flesh, "Everything is going to be ok." That's what Madara wanted to hear when he came home after his first battle. Everything is going to be ok. He was safe. No one else was going to die today. He could put down his sword.

But while that line may have worked with Izuna after his first battle, it did not work for Inaba. Letting out a small wail, Inaba lunged into Madara's arms, his fingers digging into the back of Madara's red armor. Freezing up for not even a moment, Madara wrapped his arms around Inaba and held him tightly, trying to suppress his own tears. He could not see them, but he hoped that Iku and Matsu were doing ok, and seeing Inaba break down like this would not scar them before they were forced into battle. Izuna stood off to the side, but then walked over to the twins and took each of their hands as he tried to lead them away, but Iku would not move. For once he was silent, rooted to the stop as Inaba sobbed into Madara's chest, his tears cleaning the dirt from his chubby face. Matsu felt absolutely nauseous, and squeezed Izuna's hand in his. They were only two years apart, but Izuna always seemed so much more mature than him, and he felt safe with Izuna by his side. Almost as safe as he felt when Iku was standing right beside him.

Inaba's heart was in his throat, and his legs felt heavy and tight at the same time. Everything pulsed around him, but Madara squeezed him in his arms and he could breathe just a bit easier. He did not dare close his eyes, or else the images of the day would overwhelm him. Inaba did not want to see the initial clash between the Senju and the Uchiha, where the Uchiha to his left was impaled by a spear, blood gushing from his mouth as he dropped to the grass. Inaba did not want to remember the way his arms screamed in protest as he blocked an attack with his sword, the large Senju man, pushing down on him with wide, hyper focused eyes. Inaba thought he was going to die as he arms began to shake under the man's superior weight, but then the man screamed and fell to the side, six kunai sticking out of his back. No, Inaba did not want to think about those things. All he wanted to do was stay here, in the Uchiha compound, safe.

"Inaba," Madara was coxing him, but Inaba could not move. "Inaba we need to go home and get cleaned up." Inaba still did not move, and Madara gulped a bit, unsure of what to do.

"Inaba," Matsu's voice shook, and Inaba froze, his entire body felt like ice. He forgot that the twins were watching him, "Inaba, let's go home."

It was then that Inaba understood Madara and Izuna on a deeper level than he ever thought possible. Matsu's voice was still gentle and innocent; he knew nothing of the brutality of the reality beyond those gates. Is this what Madara and Izuna felt when they looked at their younger brothers? This tightening in his gut that made him want to puke, this worry and fear at the idea that the twins would one day experience what he went through today. The thought that Iku would no longer have that glint of mischief in his eyes, that Matsu would no longer be sweet and gentle. That their eyes would fill with anger and dread and resentment when they walked though the doors. A sickening thought passed though Inaba's mind. The agony in one of their eyes as the other was killed.

Inaba used to blow off his training, rolling his eyes and hiding when Madara and Izuna would nag him to train. How stupid. He always thought they were trying to boss him around, to make him do more work. Being the third born son, there was a very slim chance Inaba would be the heir to the Uchiha, and when his two older brothers were prodigies that outshone even the most battle worn of adults, the chance of Inaba becoming the heir was nearly zero. Therefore, he never felt the need to be on their level of skill. He did not need the extra training, after all, he was just going to end up in the side branch anyway. He just needed to be strong enough to keep himself alive until Madara took over the clan. When that happened, Inaba had always dreamed of traveling to the traditional Uchiha compound in the northern mountains and spending his life there.

Now those plan not only felt selfish, but disgustingly naïve. It was clear today that he was far too weak to keep himself alive on the battlefield. Inaba was only still alive today because the other Uchiha, particularly Izuna and Madara were watching out for him. But that would not last forever. Eventually Madara and Izuna would be called to deal with more powerful enemies, and he would be alone in the massive crowds of swinging metal and last breathes. There was no way he would make it without them, and thinking even further than that, there was no way the twins would survive either. A bit of guilt swept though Inaba as he realized that part of the reason the twins often blew off their training or patrols was because they were copying him. Madara and Izuna went to the battlefield when they were seven, the twins were too young to remember them practicing hard or using every opportunity to improve. No, instead all they saw was Inaba napping in trees during training, or getting yelled at by Tajima for not behaving on patrols. If they were unprepared for war, it was because he made them believe they did not have to be.

Inaba took a deep breath and pulled away from Madara, a small smile on his lips as he nodded that he was ok now. It was fake, but if they could tell, no one said anything. The brothers silently began to walk home. The streets were empty now, everyone was inside caring for the injured. Medics were in short supply, and were tasked with only the most dire of cases, so the rest of the clan needed to learn how to take care of everything else. Matsu breathed in though his mouth and he could taste the iron in the air, his eyes watering a bit from the disgusting smell. He always hated it.

As they apporched the center of the compound, their house came into view. It was slightly larger than most, with a large Uchiha banner hanging proudly over the wooden door. A small garden of withering flowers decorated the sides of the building, slowly dying as the first frost moved into the territory. Beside the door a figure stood, elegant and still, hands folded neatly in front of her. Kyoko Uchiha, matriarch of the Uchiha clan and mother of Tajima's five sons, stood waiting for her children with a neutral look on her face. She always waited by the door, it would not be proper for her to go to the gate with all the panicked and hysterical wives. It was not lady like, it showed weakness, and Kyoko was everything but weak. She believed in the power of her clan, and would wait for them at home, dinner warm and ready.

As they approached the door, Matsu watched as his mother's large black eyes traveled down to Inaba, taking in the filth on his body and his red eyes. She would usually scold at him for being dirty, but not today.

"Welcome home, my sons." Her voice was low and rhythmic, as steady and consistent as the elaborate braid in her hair. "Please remove your armor and weapons so I may clean them. Dinner is ready inside. Twins," She rarely called them by their names, "go bring some water from the spring so that your brothers can bathe here." Her orders were absolute, and Izuna relunctly let Iku and Matsu's hands go free. When they stepped away, he wanted to go with them when he saw the lost look they gave each other, the way their shoulders brushed as they ran off into the creeping night. Izuna wanted to tell them to not be afraid, that he would protect them. Kyoko called for him, and Izuna clenched his hands and went inside. It felt so much colder without them beside him.

"I don't want a new tutor," Iku yelled out, his voice muffled as he laid face down in the grassy field. Matsu ignored him, twirling a red leaf in between his fingers. He was tired, he could not sleep last night, his mind would not shut off. It was shameful, but Matsu wanted to run away, grab his brothers in the middle of the night and run off into the darkness. Away from the clan, the wars, and especially the Senju. He was terrified of them, and what they could do to his family. Inaba was not sure where they would go, maybe to the mountains, someplace where fruit grew fat and juicy and they did not have to worry about war. However, that was not possible, he was an Uchiha and he could never escape war or the Senju.

"We could always go hide in the forest again," Matsu offered, only half joking as he sat up. Iku took a second longer than necessary to respond, so Matsu continued, "I'm kidding, I don't think its a good idea."

Madara came down hard on them for slacking off on patrols, which was pretty normal. The unusual thing was when Inaba joined him in the scolding. Madara was so shocked he made one of his over the top faces and declared that Inaba was under an illusion. Inaba only rolled his eyes. In the two days since he had been home, there was a noticeable change in Inaba's demeanor. He no longer lazed around the compound with the twins, snacking on fruits and sweet pastries until the sun set. Instead he spent his days training with Madara and Izuna, under the approving gaze of Tajima, or trying to get the twins to take their training more seriously. It was weird.

"Yeah, I don't feel like listening to Madara nag again. He's so dramatic when he's angry." Iku was still face down in the grass, but pushed himself up onto his elbows to look at his brother, "Besides, I want to prove to Father how good we are, and maybe he'll start training us again if we show him we take our training seriously like Madara and Izuna and Inaba." Determination flared in Iku's eyes, and despite the reluctance in Matu's heart, he gave his twin a smile. Although he was unsure of himself, he did not want to let his twin down again.

"Ah, you two really do look alike. I can't tell you apart at all!" The boys jumped to their feet, shoulder to shoulder, as they stared at the newcomer. The man stood tall, taller than the average Uchiha, with curly purple hair and bright black eyes as he leaned forward to get a better look at the boys. Matsu recognized him as Manju Uchiha, one of Tajima's aids. Manju was known for his excellent battle intelligence and well rounded skill set. While he would lose in a battle to Madara, Manju would most likely be able to hold his own against Izuna, possibly even win.

"No duh, we're twins!" Iku shouted, cheeks a bit red from being caught so obviously off guard. Manju snorted and laughed, the deep scar on his chin moving as his facial muscles contracted. Leaning back, Manju allowed the boys to retake their shared personal space.

"Of course, you are, how silly of me." Manju put his hands on his hips, and winked, "Now, now don't look at me like that. We're going to be spending a lot of time together, so try to be nice to me." So it was as Matsu figured, Tajima must have figured that if hard military men like Kinpu could not handle them, maybe someone more relaxed would have a better chance at wrestling the two boys.

"Ok, um, well," Matsu looked over to Iku, who was till too embarrassed to be civil. "I'm Matsu, I have a braid in my hair, see, Matsu pulled his braid over his shoulder, " And this is Iku, he doesn't have a braid."

"Hey don't make it so easy for him!" Iku spun to shout directly in his ear, again, and Matsu glared at him.

"It'll be annoying if he's always calling us the wrong name during practice, I don't want to do being your punishments just because he can't tell us apart!"

"That was one time!"

"And I'm still angry about it!"

"Wow, wow," Manju drawled, amusement on his face. They reminded him of his two older sisters, "Don't fight."

"We're not fighting," Matsu corrected, the boys instantly turned to stand shoulder to shoulder and glare at their new teacher. Manju tilted his head to the side a little to observe the two boys better. Lord Tajima was not kidding about their close attachment, in fact he may have understated it. It would be difficult to instruct them if they were unwilling to do separate activities, so he would need to address that tactfully, or else they might rebel. The last thing Manju wanted to do was to report that two brats got the best of him.

"Sorry, sorry!" Manju took a step forward, "It seems like I've got a lot to learn about you, Iku, Matsu. So lets introduce ourselves properly as teacher and student." The twins looked at each other, and Matsu shrugged before the boys relaxed. Manju snapped his finger and plopped himself down on the grass, one leg folded in as he waved his hands for the boys to join him on the ground. Manju waited for them to get settled, "Hello, my name is Manju Uchiha. I used to work on the front lines under your father, but I'll be working with you for a while."

"Did you get in trouble too?" Iku picked in his ear as Manju raised an eyebrow at him.

"No? Why would you ask that?"

"People usually only get stuck with us if they did something wrong." Matsu clarified, staring directly into Manju's eyes with quiet fascination. He must of thought Manju had a flashy story to tell. Too bad.

"Your father asked me to teach you, and I agreed. I've always wanted to have a few cute students to look after." Manju gave them a gentle smile and clapped his hands together twice, " Ok enough about me for now, tell me about yourselves."

"That's so broad," Matsu complained, "can you be mor specific?"

"No," Manju continued to smile, little less gently as his smile spread a bit further across his face when Matsu glared at him. Young Uchiha were always so adorable before they could properly fight back. "Just do your best."

"Ok," Matsu mumbled, kneading the dirt under his hands absentmindedly.

"Well you already know our names," Iku started, paying a tad bit more attention now, "We're twins. We're the youngest children of our father," Manju raised his hand up swiftly, his eye brows scrunched together and his nose wrinkled up like he smelled a rotting animal.

"No, no, introduce yourselves individually." Manju pulled his hands apart like he could physically separate their introductions. Scratching his chin, Iku looked utterly confused, while Matsu looked directly at the ground.

"I was,"

"No, you were introducing both of you at the same time. You kept saying things like 'we' and 'our' and you were only telling me shared facts about yourself." Iku looked at Manju, utterly mystified. Matsu continued looking at the ground, his eyes drifted to his twin for a brief moment, before returning to a particularly interesting piece of grass. Breathing out through his nose, Manju let the silence settle for a little bit. Typically in siblings as close as Iku and Matsu, they still possessed clear and separate identities, however, it was clear those lines were a bit blurred with the twins. If Iku's first instinct was to introduce them as twins, that identifier must have huge significance in the way they perceive themselves and their place in the clan.

"So, you just want us to talk about ourselves?" Iku said the words slowly, "Seperatly, like we can't use facts that we have in common?"

"We can't saw 'we'?" Matsu finished, far less confused but noticeably nervous.

"Exactly," Manju nodded his head, "I want to know you both individually, so try to focus on things that are unique about you. Matsu, why don't you start."

"Uh," Matsu flinched backward for a moment and wracked his brain, trying to think of something, anything they did not have in common. "Well I really like to read."

"Good, its important for young ninja to be well educated." Manju encouraged, waiting for Matsu to continue. However, the boy only blinked, obviously in distress at being put on the spot. Sighing, Manju decided to give him a bit of help, "What about your fighting styles?"

"Oh," Matsu perked up, sitting up straight, "I've got better chakra control and stamina than Iku, but he's faster and he usually beats me in spars."

"I always beat you in spars!" Iku nudged him roughly with his shoulder, and Matsu returned the gesture a bit harder.

"No you don't!"

"Alright, alright," Manju cut off the argument before it began, almost wanting to laugh at how predicable the boys already were. He thought about ending the exercise, to give them more time to think about it. It would be more productive if they thought through what made them different, and it would be healthier in the long run.

"Don't lie, Matsu!" Iku tackled his brother, throwing all of his weight on Matsu's body. The boys cried out and screamed, not really saying anything as they rolled in the grass. In an instant, Manju was standing up, holding each of them tightly by the back of the collar as far away from the other as his arms would allow.

"It seems like we'll have to work on your manners as well," Manju chuckled, releasing the boys and using his hand to shade the sun from his eyes, "Ten laps around the compound."

"What?" Iku shrieked as Matsu folded his arms over his chest.

"Manju sensei, I just thought about something else that's different between me and Iku?" Matsu was glaring at his brother from the side, his eyes narrowed and calculating.

"Oh?" Manju tried not to laugh when Matsu shoved Iku to the ground and took off.

"He's dumber than me, too!"


	3. Chapter 3

"If all goes well, the Uchiha will see everlasting peace before your era is over, Lord Tajima." The elder grunted as he hauled himself up to his feet, using a chunky wooden cane to support his weight. His joints cracked loudly with each step, and he frowned heavily as he shuffled proudly towards the door, "It is within our grasp now, finally after all these years." Pulling back the sliding door, Yagami, prestigious Uchiha elder and respected former General, stepped out into the night, letting the cool air drift into the room. Tajima sat, elevated above the others on a thin pillow, arms crossed over his chest as he kept his eyes closed. Sitting on his right, Kyoko folded her hands delicately over her lap, watching her husband out of the corner of her eye.

"Even in his old age, Yagami has still yet to learn to close the door." A scheming chuckle ended the silence, and the second elder stood to take her leave. A few strands of hair escaped from her bun, blowing in the wind as she stared at the young rulers of the Uchiha clan. Well, they were young in her wrinkled eyes.

"Thank you for your time, Elder Tsabasa. We will cherish your wisdom always." Kyoko bowed her head slightly, her voice monotone and smooth as she lifted her head to gaze into the ancient eyes of the woman before her. Tsabasa was the oldest living member of the Uchiha clan, and her influence spread even further than Tajima's.

"Cherish my wisdom, ha!" Tsabasa cackled, as if someone told her she would live to see another decade, "Girl, if the Uchiha heeded my words as much as you pretend to, the clan would be three times as large."

"Elder Tsabasa, please refrain from addressing my wife in such a manner." Tajima opened his eyes in a feeble attempt to protect his wife's honor. They all knew it was pointless, Tsabasa was an old woman and would very well do as she pleased.

"Its so refreshing to see you acting like a gentleman, Tajima my boy." Tsabasa tucked her hands into the sleeves of her kimono, "You were such a ruffian growing up, I thought you would never learn to behave, but look at you now." Tsabasa paused, her voice dropped low as she frowned with such malice it made Tajima want to look away, "Yes, look at you now."

"You have had that look on your face all night, Elder Tsabasa." Tajima's eyes were wide open as he clenched his jaw, staring ahead and not looking at the old woman, "Please, if you have some disagreement with Operation Kaleidoscope, please give your guidance now, before it is too late." It was a challenge, one that Tsabasa was not afraid to answer.

"Before its too late, he says," She snorted, turning her back and steadily walking towards the door, the ice cold night air brushing against the deep wrinkles in her skin, "Its already too late, ten years too late to be precise." She sighed, "Hopefully, when your time comes to leave this world, you will be ready to answer for the what you plan to do. What you plan to do as a Lord, a shinobi, an Uchiha, and as a father." She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Tajima and Kyoko were alone.

"That woman." Tajima slammed his fist down on the table in from of his, knocking over a well of ink. It clattered as it fell, spilling onto the table and staining Tajima's hand. Swiftly pulling a cloth out from the top of her awase, Kyoko sat up on her knees and gently picked up Tajima's hand, cleaning away the black ink as best she could. Watching his wife silently, Tajima studied her beautiful face. She looked as youthful and solemn as the day they were wed. Her large black eyes that she passed on to all of their children but Inaba were focused on her task. The pale skin on her fingers, which she passed down to the twins, was now covered in smudges of black ink. Kyoko gifted so much to her children. She had given Madara, Izuna, and to an extent Matsu, an intelligence that perplexed him throughout their marriage. She passed to Madara and Iku a will that blasted through even the strongest men. She gave to Izuna and Matsu a calm patience that could wait, boiling and frothing for days, weeks, months. If Tajima was a lesser man, he would claim that his children got all of their battle prowess from him, but he was strong enough to admit that Kyoko's chakra control and pain tolerance far exceeded his own. She gave their children many gifts, whether they realized it or not.

Except Inaba.

That poor stupid boy took after Tajima far too much. And it appeared he only received Tajima's less than desirable traits. However, slowly it was changing. After his first experience on the front lines, Inaba was changing for the better. He was taking his training more seriously, he no longer ran around with the twins causing mischief and lazing around all day. Inaba took his training more seriously, and it made Tajima reevaluate his hesitance to put the twins out on the front lines. Perhaps it would do them some good.

"Do you have some regrets, my love?" Kyoko brought her partially stained hand up to her husband's chin, sliding her fingers over his face until she was cupping his chin. "If you do, do not hide them from me."

"My only regret is that not all of my children will live to see the peace we will create." Tajima reached up and pressed her hand against his skin, feeling the cool touch of her palms. Her face did not change from that concentrated expression as she allowed him this moment of closeness.

"It is their destiny, their purpose for existence. I feel no sadness at the potential death of my children, because their death will serve a greater purpose. The advancement of the Uchiha is all that matter." She stared deeply into his eyes, "The lives our children are nothing in comparison to the overall well being of the clan, you know that. And its time you started teaching your heir that as well, my love." Kyoko pulled her hand away and stood up, leaving the room; she forced Tajima to sit with his thoughts.

"You know, for someone with such great chakra control, you really shouldn't suck this much." Manju leaned over Matsu's heaving body, arms behind his back as Matsu laid sprawled out on the grass. The sky was overcast, and the midmorning air blew in a chilly breeze. A cold front was rolling in and fast.

"I know," Matsu panted out, his eyes clenched shut as he tried to block out the screaming pain in his arms. He knew they were bruised; Manju rarely pulled his punches when they sparred. Iku sat, tongue poking out, under a line of trees, focusing his chakra. It rippled inconsistently, like his brother was trying to mold too much chakra at once, and it made Matsu's senses feel icky.

"Alright, alright. Tell me what's going though that head of yours." Manju plopped himself down on the grass right beside Matsu's barely functioning body. The kid was obviously giving it his all, trying to keep up with Iku's boundless energy and wildfire movements. However, Matsu was obviously not cut out to be a heavy hitting firework like Iku was.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong." Matsu muttered, forcing himself to sit up despite the throbbing in his arms and upper chest. "I'm coming at you from the perfect angle every time! The trajectory of my kunai is spot on, and I'm landing solid hits on your organs, but you don't even slow down!" Matsu crossed his arms over his chest and stared angrily at Manju, who only looked at his with unconcealed amusement and a twinkle in his eye.

"Is that what you were going for?" Manju let out a little laugh when Matsu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Kid, you really are something."

"Can you just explain what I did wrong?" Matsu spat out, blushing from ear to ear as his teacher cooed at him. Manju always teased them for being adorable, and it was humiliating.

"You're overthinking it, Matsu. The reason your movements are so slow is because you're trying to calculate everything in your head before it happens. You're thinking about everything except what matters." Manju pointed at himself, "Your opponent. The fact is, you're not good enough to take that all into account yet, we need to focus on your instincts until you have enough experience to do all those calculations during a real, intense battle." Matsu huffed and looked at the ground, his heart continued pounded, but it was not because he was tired anymore.

"I don't think I can." Matsu admitted, shoulders hunching forward a bit as he looked over to where his brother still sat with his eyes closed. It was not easy for Matsu to shut off his mind the way Iku could during a fight. In fact, Matsu's mind seemed to be moving faster in times of stress, thinking about the rock over there, or the way his enemy's hip twisted just a smidge off balance, or the how loud the river sounded even though it was on the other side of the field.

"Maybe," Matsu's eyes snapped up to Manju, who was smiling at him, "I've already considered that you might not be the heavy hitter your brother will be, and how else I can focus your talents." Manju held up a finger, "That's something else you two don't have in common." Over the course of the last three weeks that the twins have been training with Manju, he has made it his mission to point out every difference between them. How Matsu's hair was just a tad bit straighter, or how Iku always finished his meat, but rarely his vegetables. At first, it made the twins rather uncomfortable, but eventually they just chalked it up to another one of Manju's weird habits and got over it.

"Other ways to focus my talents?" Matsu's eyes peaked with curiosity, "Like what?" Manju waved his hands to the side, as if he was fanning away the question.

"We'll see when the time comes, for now, lets do something else. Iku," Manju yelled, and Iku's eyes popped open as he scrambled towards them, "lets finish up for now, I've got to take care of some errands today so we'll meet back here at, hm, well lets say sundown."

"What kind of errands?" Matsu asked, knowing he was being nosey but not really caring because this was Manju, and Manju was too weird for manners.

"Adult errands." Manju replied plainly, standing up slowly and the twins followed his lead, now their shoulders were touching as Iku's eyes glittered with mischief.

"Does that mean you're going to see a girl?" Iku laughed as Manju's mouth dropped open a bit, scandalized that his young, innocent student even knew girls existed.

"What girl would want to see him?" Matsu asked seriously, slowly looking Manju up and down in the most judgmental way possible. The man instantly felt depressed and angry all at the same time as he let his chakra crack out towards the boys. He instantly pulled it back, only having lost control for a fraction of a second. Matsu gasped in surprise, freezing for a moment, but Iku only laughed, which caused Manju to raise an eyebrow. Had Iku simply not felt the slip up, or was he ignoring it? Clearly Matsu felt it, but his chakra sensory abilities were very sensitive, and could feel even the slightest changes with minimal effort. Manju was slowly starting to doubt Iku's sensory abilities, if he even had any to begin with.

"A desperate one. Kotori said that men who are unmarried at Manju's age are,"

"Alright, that's enough!' Manju commanded, but it came out a little bit as a whine. He did not think his pride could take the blow of whatever Iku was going to say. Then a thought crossed his mind, "At my age? How old do you brats think I am?"

"I dunno," Iku shrugged.

"Like thirty five." Matsu tried, and oddly, Manju attempted to reason with them.

"But your dad is only like thirty right?" Manju held up three fingers, to represent every decade the Lord of the Uchiha spent on this earth.

"Thirty two," The twins replied in unison, totally oblivious to the pain they were causing their teacher.

"And I'm younger than your dad," Manju slowly explained, trying to force them to a better conclusion. Iku and Matsu blinked at each other, then at Manju.

"Ok, so you're like thrity then?" Matsu tried, and instantly Manju wanted to kick the cheeky brat all the way to the other side of the compound.

"I'm twenty two!"

"Oh." The twins looked genuinely surprised and Manju almost wanted to pull his hair out.

"Just go away! Matsu, go find someone to spar with and Iku, just go read a book or something." Manju disappeared in a flurry of leaves and self pity, leaving the twins alone.

"Do you think we went too far?" Matsu put his arms behind his back as they began to walk towards the housing section of the compound. Iku only laughed, and the two sprinted off.

Matsu ducked under Izuna's extended leg and tried to thrust his palm into Izuna's exposed chest. Quickly setting his leg down, Izuna knocked Matsu's hand away, locking his fingers around Matsu's wrist and yanking the younger boy off balance. Allowing himself to fall, Matsu turned his back to Izuna for only a moment, and barely managed to jump out of the way of Izuna's foot aimed at his back.

"Good job, little brother," Izuna smiled as he landed a hit on Matsu's shoulder, not allowing Matsu even a moment of rest, "You're sensory abilities have really improved." Matsu grunted as he was forced to focus on defense, Izuna's blows coming too fast for him to think of a counter attack. Then again, he knew he was not supposed to be thinking. Manju wanted him to focus on instinct right? Matsu took a deep breath and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as Izuna aimed a fist straight for his face. Matsu froze. His heart frozen in his chest as Izuna's fist stopped mere centimeters from his nose. Swallowing thickly, Matsu's shoulders slumped and he let himself fall to his knees. He had lost.

"Ow, ow," He hissed, gently brushing his fingers over his wrist where Izuna grabbed him. Izuna frowned, kneeling down beside Matsu.

"Let me see, Matsu." Izuna gently commanded, and Matsu meekly allowed Izuna to peel away the fabric of his winter clothes, looking only at his arms when Izuna took in a sharp breath. Matsu's usually pale skin was turning a sickly purple, outlined by a thick line of yellow. There were patches of raw skin, where some hits landed a bit too hard and broke through the surface. It went as far up as Izuna could see, and then continued down Matsu's shirt, and Izuna felt sick at the thought of how extensive the bruise had grown. Izuna brushed his fingers over the wound, watching as Matsu's skin trembled at the touch.

"Ow, stop, that hurts!" Matsu tried to pull his arms back, but Izuna held his wrist in a firm grip, just enough to be a warning.

"How did this happen? Did Manju do this?" Izuna's voice was level, and it made Matsu shiver. While Madara and Iku were loud and expressive with their anger, Izuna was controlled and foreboding. Izuna clenched his jaw, looking up in the direction of their home, "I know Father told him not to go easy on you but this is too far, even for intensive training. Why didn't you say something?"

"Its not Manju's fault!" Matsu defended his teacher adamantly; yanking his arms away, and Izuna let him, watching him closely as Matsu pulled his sleeves over his arms to cover the bruises. "I've been training with a lot of people. Manju, Iku, Kon, and you. Sometimes I'll train with two or three people a day, so my body doesn't really get a chance to rest."

"Matsu, why would you do that? You know how important it is to allow your body to heal." Izuna shifted his position so he was sitting a bit closer to Matsu, wiping away a tear Matsu did not even realize he shed. Bringing his knees up to his chest, Manju rested his chin on his knees, looking up at the sky. A few stubborn birds remained in the trees, puffed up as they braced against each cool breeze.

"I have to get stronger," Matsu dug his fingers into his legs, they were bruised too, and it hurt so much.

"Matsu," Izuna sighed, not knowing what to say. The shift in the youngest three siblings over the past month had both Izuna and Madara on edge. Things were changing in the clan, the clashes with the Senju were becoming more frequent and more children were slowly being called to the front lines. Could Matsu and Iku feel their time coming? Is that what brought on Matu's self-destructive behavior, a fear of the front lines? Izuna shivered a bit as the wind grew stronger, passing through the fabric of his clothing and smacking him in the chest.

"Iku's been working so hard to impress Father, and I don't want him to leave me behind." Matsu admitted, burying his face into his knees. Iku was making a lot of progress; even someone without eyes could see that. His form was becoming steadier with every passing day, his reflexes were sharper, and his Katon burned hot enough to break through Manju's water wall. Matsu was improving as well, just not in the ways that would matter. He could sense the chakra of anyone within the compound, and his knowledge of the other clans, geopolitics, strategy, and economic policy was far greater than even Izuna's. However, Matsu was falling behind Iku in terms of battle prowess. They were twins; they were supposed to be the same. So why was Iku getting further and further away from him?

"Iku would never leave you behind, Matsu. You two have a special bond that no one can understand, not even me." Izuna used one arm to pull Matsu into a hug, and Matsu leaned against Izuna's shoulder, soaking up the comfort of being in Izuna's calmative presence. Izuna began petting Matsu's hair. "Have you talked to him about your concerns?"

"No, I don't want him to feel bad and start slacking off because of me." Matsu paused, "Manju sensei said that Iku has real talent, that one day he might be able to stand beside you and Madara in combat if he works hard." Izuna frowned in distaste, but Matsu did not see, "Iku was so happy, he's always wanted to stand beside you two."

"And you don't think you will be able to stand beside us one day?" Izuna felt Matsu nod, and tightened his grip on his youngest brother. If Izuna could trade his eyes for one wish, he would wish that neither Matsu nor Iku would ever join them on the battlefield. It was too late for Inaba. The lazy boy Izuna grew up with was rapidly changing overnight, becoming more passive and paranoid with every passing day. Madara fought so hard to keep Inaba from the front lines for as long as he could, and because Tajima favored Madara, he allowed Inaba to stay in the safety of the compound far longer than what was traditional. Madara bought Inaba three extra years of childhood, but it did not seem to matter. After they returned from Inaba's first battle, Madara started spending more time by himself outside of the compound. Izuna figured it was his way of coping with the tragic lose of Inaba's innocence.

"I'm not like the rest of you, I'm not strong." Matsu could feel his tears now, and his chest started to move up and down a bit faster, but he would not let himself bawl in Izuna's arms.

"There is more than one way to be strong, Matsu. Madara and I may be physically strong yes, but the clan is going to need more than just that type of strength. You're very smart Matsu, and you have your own unique talents. You just need to find a way to focus on those things, not what you lack." Izuna felt old in that moment, he was only eleven, but the words felt decades older. For a moment, Izuna allowed himself to feel self pity at his own maturity.

"But how? What should I do, Izuna?"

"I don't know," Izuna admitted, "Just find something that only you can do, and I know that one day you'll stand beside all of us."

"And we'll protect the Uchiha, and each other." Matsu finished hopefully, twisting to wrap both his arms around Izuna's waist. Smiling sadly, Izuna said nothing, and only continued to pet Matsu's smooth hair. The sun traveled through the sky quickly, winter was upon them and the days were much shorter. Every moment of sunlight was cherished, and the boys walked back home to play Shogi on the steps. Kyoko stepped out to join them for only a moment, analyzing the board before returning inside to bring them warm cups of tea and small bits of dried fruit.

Izuna huffed, resigned, as he moved his knight forward. He lost, there was no reason to continue the game. Matsu smiled, the light hearted joy in his heart warmed Izuna's core.

"Izuna, did you lose to Matsu again?" Madara approached them quietly, his face smudged a bit with dirt and his hair a little messier than what was usual. Still beaming from his victory, Matsu shot up and ran to hug Madara. As the youngest and the eldest, Matsu and Madara did not get to spend much time together. Especially since Tajima was continuing to focus his energy on preparing Madara to become the official heir in a few years time.

"I almost had him this time," Izuna packed the game away, a small frown on his face as he took in Madara's disheveled appearance. "Where have you been all day? General Michiko was looking for you earlier, but no one could find you." Michiko stormed towards Izuna and Matsu during the beginning of their game, barking out orders for Matsu to locate Madara's chakra. Oh course, being the blindly loyal little brother he was, Matsu pretended that he could not sense Madara and the General left the two boys alone. Chalking it up to Madara's superior abilities, she growled at herself, wondering why she ever thought Madara's insignificant little brother would be able to track him.

"I was out training," Madara looked steadily into Izuna's eyes, before quickly changing the subject. Looking down, Matsu was still wrapped around Madara's waist, and Madara pat him on the back, noticing the way Matsu flinched a bit at the contact, "Its rare to see you alone, Matsu, where's Iku?"

"Manju had to go do something so he told us to go train, but while we were looking for you guys, Kinpu showed up and dragged Iku off somewhere." Their former patrol leader appeared out of no where, yapping that he needed help with something, grabbed Iku by the collar, calling him Matsu, and dragged him away. Matsu let go of Madara and crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm pretty sure he thought Iku was me, so hopefully it wasn't something that involved thinking." Izuna laughed, and Madara sighed, ruffling Matsu's hair.

It was nice to spent time with his brothers like this, just laughing and talking. As Madara grew stronger, his father spent more time training him to take over the clan. His days were filled with endless meetings with the elders, mission reports, paperwork, and training with Izuna and Inaba under Tajima's careful watch. The only time he got to himself was in the dead of night when his brothers were asleep, or when he went off to train with his new friend by the river.

Clenching his fist, the image of the stupid looking brown haired boy flashed before his eyes. Madara could not explain why but he felt a strong bond with the young man, even though they just met. When their fist clashed during a spar, or when Madara's lungs screamed for air during a race, the darkness of reality faded away just a bit. Hashirama provided him with a challenge and a friend. A like minded ally who shared in his desire for peace between the shinobi clans. At the same time, Hashirama presented a potential threat that could threaten that dream. Other than his first name, Madara admitted that his knew next to nothing about the boy, as shinobi law made it very difficult to give personal information to strangers and potential enemies.

Looking at Izuna and Matsu, Madara knew he was risking a lot by befriending Hashirama. The boy was not a member of the Uchiha, and with every meeting they risked being discovered. If Hashirama proved to be from an enemy clan as Madara suspected, Madara would be branded a traitor, and the impact of his punishment would drastically change his younger brothers' lives for the worst. Izuna would be shoved into the position of heir in training, and would be expected to take on all the responsibilities and hardships that came with it. Madara would not put it past Tajima and the elders to have Izuna carry out Madara's execution, just to prove a point and keep Izuna and the rest of the brothers from rebelling.

Inaba would be made Izuna's right hand man, which would mean more time in planning battles and fighting on the front lines. Something that was obviously not suited for him, much to Tajima's frustration. He did not possess the intelligence of Izuna or Matsu, nor did he possess the raw instinct of Iku. More than likely, Tajima would pass over Inaba and put Matsu and Iku in that position, which would be even worse. Inaba would be disgraced, and pushed to the lowest position in the clan, and the twins would suddenly find themselves involved in a war Madara had shielded them from for so long.

There was so much risk every time Madara stepped out on the water's surface to meet with Hashirama. Everything Madara worked to protect would come crashing down before his eyes, and his brother's would suffer the most for his selfish choices.

But he could not stop going. It was like a chain was pulling him back to Hashirama, day after day. He needed the release of being able to plan out a utopia, or being able to talk about practical solutions for the shinobi world that he could not speak of at home. He and Izuna rarely had a moment alone. Inaba did not possess the intelligence or the desire to dream of something so impossible, and the twins were simply too young to fully understand the implications of peace. Now that Madara had Hashirama, it was like a damn broke and he could finally breathe.

"I've got to get back to the training ground, Manju wanted us back by sunset." Matsu broke Madara out of his clouded thoughts, before he took off running. Izuna waved slowly until the young boy disappeared from view.

"I'm worried about him." Izuna admitted, still thinking of the nauseating bruises that decorated Matsu's skin, then he turned to Madara, "I'm worried about you too, elder brother."

"Don't be, I can take care of myself Izuna." Madara winked at him, trying to sound light and joking, but Izuna frowned, letting his hands hang by his sides.

"I really hope so, Madara." Izuna turned to walk inside, "Just be careful, we can't afford to let anything happen to you." Madara relaxed his hands and tipped his head down, his bangs casting a shadow over his face.

"I know, thank you, Izuna."


	4. Chapter 4

The sun had set hours ago, and the moon was slowly rising in the sky. The bugs were silent, hiding themselves from the freezing night air. Matsu's teeth chattered, and he pressed himself a little closer to Iku, who used a hand to steady his brother. Izuna was right, Matsu had pushed himself too hard and now his body could barely move without pain shooting through every muscle in his body. Trailing behind them, Manju's footsteps fell silently against the dirt road, his eyes closely watching Matsu's movements. A part of him knew that he should have told the boy to go home and rest upon seeing all the bruises on his body, but another part, the part that grew up hardened by war and bloodshed, knew that this was the perfect time for training. When Matsu was worn down and struggling to move, that was when he would be in the most danger, so it was best he got used to the feeling as soon as possible.

"Matsu!" Iku panicked when Matsu fell to one knee, his breath coming out in large white clouds from his mouth. Scrunching his eyes shut, Matsu groaned as his his eyes swam in the darkness, everything felt tipsy and off balance. Iku knelt down beside him, trying to pry Matsu back to his feet. They were still a few minutes from home, and it would be best to get Matsu warm and in bed as soon as possible. Izuna and Madara would know what to do about his injuries.

An ugly feeling welled up in Iku as he watched his twin struggle to stand, Manju watching them curiously a few steps away. Iku had no idea how bad Matsu was hurt until he accidentally ripped his sleeve during their evening spar. As the long fabric shred under fingers, Iku's eyes went wide when he saw the swelling purple bruises on Matsu's skin and the pained look on Matsu's face. As Manju ran to check Matsu over, Iku could only stare at his brother's injuries. He had never seen Matsu this injured before. As Iku looked down at his own arms, he realized that they had never looked so different either. It made him angry. Not because they looked different, he realized with shock, but because Matsu was in so much pain while he was not. It was an odd realization, but the feeling was something Iku wanted to avoid in the future. The way his stomach churned and his eyes watered, it was so frustrating.

"Come on, Matsu, stand up." Iku tried to support Matsu using his back, but it was pointless, Matsu's eyes were lidded from the combination of the pain and the cold, his breathing was getting faster, and his hands shook. "Idiot," Iku's lip trembled, then he turned to glare at their teacher, who only looked at Iku was calm curiosity, "Don't just stand there like some useless idiot, come help him! You're our teacher, you're supposed to take care of us!"

"Actually I'm supposed to train you, there is nothing in my arrangement with Lord Tajima that puts me in charge of your well being." Manju hummed, striding forward, he picked up Matsu in his arms, grunting a bit t his weight. Iku was still glaring, but his stance was a lot more relaxed now as Manju started walking.

"Hey where are you going, our house is this way!" Iku walked quickly to keep up with Manju's pace.

"Well I very well can't bring him back looking like this, what would Lord Tajima say?" Manju gave Iku a tired smile, feeling Matsu mutter something against his shoulder.

"He probably wouldn't say anything, Father doesn't pay much attention to us." Iku's teeth were chattering as the wind began to pick up, and Manju sighed. He suspected that the youngest children would not receive much attention, especially when they had older siblings like Madara and Izuna. Apparently, the obvious favoritism bothered Iku, if the boy's pouting was anything to go by.

"Go home, Iku, I'm going to get Matsu fixed up and then I'll bring him back." Manju glared as Iku began to protest, but that did not stop Iku.

Shocking.

"No way, he's my twin, I'm staying with him." Iku shouted, potentially waking up anyone who lived within eight hundred meters. Wincing, Manju jutted his leg out to lightly kick Iku.

"This isn't up for debate, Iku. You're tired, and I don't feel like trying to carry both of you. You'll be doing more good by just going home and letting me handle it. A shinobi should know when its time to stop fighting and go home." Manju watched as Iku's expression changed, "Don't worry, I promise I'll take good care of Matsu."

"Ok," Iku muttered, kicking a rock with his foot. He did not want to admit it but he was exhausted himself. Kinpu dragged him off to fill in for one of the gate guards that called in sick, which meant that Iku spent all day out in the glaring sun, just staring off into the distance. Leaving Matsu alone was the last thing he wanted to do, they had already spent most of the day apart, but Manju's tone was leaving little room for argument. Iku glared at his teacher, "If anything happens to my twin, I'll make you pay! So take good care of him!" Iku sprinted off towards home, and Manju shook his head at the kid's boundless energy. Iku was always a dramatic child, something that amused Manju to no end.

"Alright, Matsu, lets get you fixed up." Manju muttered, more to himself than the boy in his arms. He was not even sure if the child was still awake. As he strolled down the street, Manju almost wanted to laugh at himself. Never would he have imagined himself in this moment, carrying the bruised body of Lord Tajima's youngest child in the middle of the night. He especially would not have imagined how his heart would clench when Matsu whimpered unconsciously in his arms, or how his pace would pick up with every shiver.

Walking up two small steps, Manju knocked loudly on the door of a petite wooden home, a stray cat purring as it rubbed against his legs. There were always more cats on this side of the compound. There was a crash from inside, a loud cursing, and Manju had to wonder how the Uchiha ever got a reputation for stoicism with so many loud, clumsy people.

The door swung open, banging on the track as white hair and squinted eyes snarled at Manju.

"Well hello there, Elder Tsabasa, how are you tonight?" Manju smiled, trying to look as charming as possible as the old woman's mouth twisted like smelled something foul as she gazed up at him. In her youth she may have come up to his chin, but gravity had curved her back, and now she stood menacingly at his chest.

"Manju, you brat, what are you doing? Knocking on my door like that, didn't your mother teach you not to interrupt a woman's beauty sleep?" Her voice cracked like a whip, tearing into Manju without restraint. Her eyes trailed down from his sheepish smile to the shifting bundle in his arms.

"If I let you sleep any long Elder Tsabasa, your beauty may be too great a distraction for our men." Manju chuckled as the old woman blushed, shifting Matsu into a better position, "I really am sorry, but my little student here overworked himself and I wanted to know if you had anything that could help get him back on his feet?"

"No." The door slammed in Manju's face, the sound echoed in his heart as he groaned. Slamming his fist on the door, Manju tightened his grip on Matsu.

"Oh come on Elder Tsbasa, its not like you're doing anything anyway." He continued banging on the door for another minute or so, his fist turned red before Tsabasa ripped the door open again.

"Have you no shame boy? Why can't you bother one of those pitiful medics your generation produced?" Tsabasa roared, using her cane to smack Manju on the shin, grinning when the man grunted. He could have easily dodged it, and they both knew it. "I swear, you're even more annoying than your mother, how is that girl anyway?" Tsabasa left the door open and walked inside, begrudgingly letting Manju into her home.

"She's doing fine, trying to get my sisters to settled down has really worn her out though." Manju used his foot to close the door behind him and sat down on the floor near the fireplace, sighing in contentment. Slowly, Matsu stopped shivering, and Manju breathed a sigh of relief.

"Its shameful really, being unmarried in their mid twenties, such rebellion would have gotten them exiled in my day," Tsabasa's words were harsh, but her tone was thoughtful, as if she questioned the limitations of her childhood.

Only a few decades ago, the role of women within the clan was drastically different. Most women were married by twenty, and had at least four or five children before dying in childbirth or spending out the rest of their lives as midwifes and caring for the men. A woman could fight of course, Uchiha had always allowed them that right, but their battle prowess was only another checkmark on their resume in the long quest to find a strong match and breed the most powerful children possible. Tsabasa had seven children, three boys and four girls before she was twenty-five. They were all dead now, but their descents lived on. Like little Kon or Ume. While Tsabasa was annoyed at the weakness within her bloodline, she was just happy that some part of her children lived on. Manju was the descendent of Tsabasa's eldest brother, although she was unsure if Manju knew that.

Tsabasa rummaged though a cabinet; glass bottles full of herbs and oils clinked against each other as she squinted, trying to read the labels.

"Here we are," Tsabasa hummed, pulling down a tiny glass jar before she shuffled over to the pair, "lay him down, I can't fix him with you holding him like that." She ordered, clapping her hands together and frowning in concentration as Manju put Matsu down. Her hands glowed green as she lowered them to hover over Matsu's body, starting at his chest. The fire crackled behind her, and Manju let out a breath and leaned back on his hands.

"He's so reckless, Elder Tsabasa. If I knew having students was this stressful, I never would have agreed to it." Manju admitted, watching as Tsabasa moved on to Matsu's arms.

"I'm glad he's giving you hell, you were such a brat growing up. You need to go to the shrine and pray to every teacher you have ever had and ask for forgiveness." Manju chuckled at her jab, and Tsabasa let a small smile spread over her wrinkled face. "He's got a good chakra flow. This is one of Tajima and Kyoko's twins? Which one?"

"Matsu," Manju continued when Tsabasa gave him a blank look, "The quiet one who likes to read." Manju often found himself having to use more than just the twins names to get the clan members to understand which boy he was referring too. Honestly, it was irritating. He had spent very little time with the boys, barely two monthes, and he knew that they were as different as up and down. Despite what they tried to project, the boys were actually very different and it was easy to recognize after a conversation or two if anyone bothered to pay attention.

"Hm, I can tell that he'll be a fine shinobi when he grows up," Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she gripped them shut and let out a frustrated sigh, "If he grows up." Manju's smile was gone, and he dipped his head down so his curly bangs covered his eyes.

"I'm lost, Elder Tsabasa. I don't know how to help him. He's very smart, and he's so determined, but he's just not much of a fighter." Manju paused, "Honestly, I'm scared for the day Lord Tajima calls him to the front lines. He isn't ready."

"Is any child ready for that?" Tsabasa licked her lips and pulled her hands back, opening up the jar and smearing some of the lotion inside on the open wounds on Matsu's arms and shoulders. "Witch hazel and Uva Ursi, prevents scarring and infection. Make sure he applies it once a day after washing."

"I'm serious. The only things I can think of now is to just focus on his gen jutsu and teach him long range attacks. Although I'm still unsure of his aptitude for either of those." Manju put his face in his hands, and Tsabasa took pity on the poor boy.

"How smart is he?"

"Very smart, he's only nine, but he's almost smarter than I am. He can beat almost everyone at Shogi, and has a vaster knowledge of history, politics, and economics than I even knew the clan had access to." Manju smiled, allowing himself to boast about his student for a moment. Tsabasa nodded in approval.

"His chakra paths are steady. His sensory abilities and chakra control, are they good too?" Tsabasa already knew the answer, but she also knew old age had stolen more than her desire for sweet foods and wanted a second opinion.

"Both are great, his sensory abilities are growing every day, and his chakra exceptional." Manju confirmed, smiling when Tsabasa finished patching up Matsu and pulled down his shirt. The woman dusted her hands off, nodding her head once.

"I see," She muttered, smiling a bit, "Sometime this week, bring him by so I can have a bit of fun with him." She chuckle a bit, but the conniving gleam in her black eyes had Manju on edge.

"Is there a particular reason why?" Manju gathered Matsu back in his arms, and stood up. The boy's breathing had leveled out, and he was peacefully sleeping in Manju's arms, covered in tightly wrapped bandages.

"I'm lonely," Tsabasa rolled her eyes when Manju snorted, "I'm an old woman, Manju, no one comes and visits me like they used to. Besides, there's still one thing I need to pass on before I go. I want to see if this brat has what it takes."

The sun was bright, casting a beautiful light over the many food stalls and stores. Merchants waved to each other as they set up their sections, asking about family members and joking about their travels. The streets were crowded as the smell of spices and smoke floated though the breeze to Matsu's drooling mouth. As he trailed closely behind Madara and Inaba, Matsu's eyes darted from one stall to the next, a giant smile on his face.

"Pay attention, Matsu. Don't get separated from us," Inaba reached back and grabbed onto Matsu's wrist tightly, pulling him along. It had been almost three days since Matsu passed out after training with Manju and Iku. He did not remember much after he fell, but Iku told him that Manju ran off with him, and when Manju brought Matsu back home, he was nearly healed.

Matsu almost fell as Inaba pulled him along, just managing to stay on his feet. Inaba's eyes were darting from side to side, but unlike Matsu, there was no amusement in his eyes.

"I was paying attention," Matsu ripped his arm out of Inaba's grasp as he pouted, now in a bad mood.

"Come on now, behave you two." Madara grumbled as he turned back to glare at them, hands on his hips. The crowd flowed around them, men and women of all ages browsing the various stalls in the little mountain village.

Tajima received reports that the clan was low on oil for the lamps within their homes. It was not something that the Uchiha civilians produced, and therefore had to be bought in the trading town about 20 kilometers outside of the compound. Originally, Tajima called only Madara into his quarters, but when he heard Inaba squabbling with Matsu outside, he decided to send them as well. Inaba had just returned from a mission in the Wind Country, and Matsu was still recovering from his excessive training.

"Matsu needs to take this more seriously, this is a mission in neutral territory. We could run into an enemy at any moment!" Inaba grunted when Madara slapped a hand over his mouth, eye twitching.

"What did I say about using words like 'mission' and 'enemy' in these kinds of places? Anyone listening could guess we are shinobi." Madara was grinding his teeth, trying his best to stay calm at Inaba's growing paranoia coupled with his blatant stupidity.

"And he says I need to take things more seriously," Matsu was purposely jabbing at Inaba, but he could not resist.

"Don't be a brat! You're such a pain without Iku, just because he isn't here doesn't mean you have to take up the job of pain in my ass!" Inaba was yelling now, and Matsu could swear he could see smoke coming out of Inaba's ears when he poked his tongue out at him. Madara just slammed his fist on top of both of their heads, earning a yell of protest from Inaba and a whine from Matsu. It was hard enough dealing with Inaba, but it seemed that Matsu was in one of his childish moods. It was a very rare sight, and usually one happened when he was separated from Iku for too long. It was kind of cute. The corner of Madara's lips turned up a bit as Matsu pouted. It was Matsu's version of a tantrum.

The continued in silence, and Matsu's eyes began to roam again, but this time, Iku kept quiet. Finally, Madara could concentrate. As his eyes looked directly in front of him, he opened his mind to the chakra signatures around him. Unlike Matsu, Madara's sensory abilities were advanced enough to where he could turn them off and on at will. He was not looking for anything in particular, just making sure there weren't any enemy shinobi in the area they need to be weary of. It would be hard enough to fight them on his own in a crowded place like this; it would be nearly impossible if Madara had to watch out for Inaba and Matsu too.

"I think they're selling oil, eldest brother." Matsu pointed in the direction of a middle aged woman and what appeared to be her very pregnant daughter. Their stall sold a number of beautiful glass bottles, but on the floor in the corner, Madara could see wooden barrels labeled Rapeseed and Sardine.

"Good job, Matsu." Inaba wrapped an arm around Matsu's shoulder, completely forgetting about their earlier spat as they followed Madara to the booth. The old woman turned around, smiling sweetly at the boys when they stopped in front of her booth. After a quick exchange, Madara handed a small pouch of money to the woman. Watching closely, Matsu tried to memorize Madara's movements as he sealed the giant barrels into a scroll, one after the other. Matsu had sealed away weapons and small pieces of supplies, but never something as large as a barrel full of oil.

"Alright," Madara dusted his hands off on his pants, the scroll safely secured within his top, "Let's head home."

"Can we stop by that stall full of scrolls and books on the way out?" Matsu waved goodbye to the pregnant woman as they disappeared into the crowd. He was getting through the Uchiha library rather quickly. The main Uchiha library was at the outpost, but Matsu never had the chance to go. A few new books, especially some that he could call his own, would be much appreciated. The compound where the boys currently lived was the clan Headquarters, where the majority of Uchiha and almost all of the main branch lived. Matsu had spent his entire life there, never traveling to any of the fortresses, settlements, or outpost that were under Uchiha control.

"Sure, just try to be quick ok? I want to get you two back to the clan as soon as possible." Madara's voice was low, his demeanor changed from earlier as Inaba's back stiffened a bit. Matsu wanted to ask what was wrong, but he knew that Madara would not answer him. It was one of the annoying things about Madara's older brother complex, he always treated his younger siblings like pieces of glass that could shatter at the smallest breeze. Still, Matsu was not too worried. Madara said yes so it could not be that bad.

After navigating their way through the crowd, Matsu nearly squealed when the book store came into view. Unlike many of the other vendors, the bookstore was located in an actual building, and Matsu tripped over himself as he forgot to step up. Madara caught him by the back of his collar, still on alert, but amused by Matsu's eagerness. As they stepped inside, the smell of musty paper and bitter ink filled Matsu's nose and he could not help but smile. There was a middle aged man, stocking books slowly, who greeted them as Matsu began looking though the selection. Inaba huffed, sitting on one of the chairs near the entrance impatiently as Madara shadowed Matsu through the store. It was small, and Madara had to turn his body to the side to move through the many rows. Just from a glance, he knew that most of these books were from different parts of the continent, probably sold to the storekeeper by traveling merchants who were passing though. There were sealing scrolls decorated with red yarn, instructional books on how to navigate the stars, historical records on various clans, most likely with invalid information.

Despite their life of secrecy and hoarding information, it was not uncommon for clans to sell irrelevant information about themselves. Madara knew his Father had approved the release of a few historical records over the years, mostly bought by the daimyo, to have a small income.

There it was again, Madara held his breath. That chakra. Trying to stay casual, Madara gave no indication that he knew the person was right outside the door, hovering at the entrance. Inaba sat, his head bobbing as he tried to fight off the boredom that was trying to pull him under. Turning his head, Madara kept an eye on Matsu, who had finally stopped in one place and was leafing though a rather thick brown book. Absorbed in the book, Matsu was either ignoring the hostile chakra, or the person was skilled enough to hide from Matsu but not Madara. Either way, Madara kept his hands by his side, but let a kunai slide down his sleeve, ready to drop into his hands if needed.

Narrowing his eyes, Madara knew he could not make the first move. They were still in town, and any act of aggression on his part could upset the fragile balance within the neutral territory, causing an all out battle for control between the clans that utilized this town. He would have to wait. Hopefully, the chakra was only monitoring them, and would not engage, but the adrenaline coursing though Madara's veins made it unlikely.

"Have you found something, Matsu?" Madara tried to keep his tone casual, but the way Matsu stiffed let him know he failed. Snapping the book shut with a loud thud, Matsu began to put it away. A small stone settled in Madara's heart and he reached out to stop him, "Come on, I know you want it, don't put it away."

"I don't know how well I'll be able to carry it back." Matsu's eyes were wide as he looked Madara directly in the eye, and Madara was unsure if wanted to hug Matsu or bang his head on the wall. Matsu knew something was up, he was probably actively searching for any hostile chakra now, and from the way his fingers suddenly twitched, he must have felt something. Anger colored Madara's vision, and he wanted to scream at the person waiting outside. Matsu was so excited about coming here, eyes shining with childish glee as he skipped though the sections of books. Now, that person had taken that joy away, and Matsu was on the defensive. He was so worried about a possible fight, he did not want to risk having his hands tied trying to hold on to that brown book.

"Let me worry about that," Madara plucked the book from Matsu's hand, almost smiling at the small spark of happiness that passed through Matsu's eyes. Quickly paying for the book, Madara tucked it under his arm, grabbing Matsu's hand with the other as they walked towards the door. Inaba yawned and stood up, oblivious to the tension. Matsu's hand squeezed Madara's a bit tighter, and they walked outside.


	5. Chapter 5

The people were still milling through the street, and Madara's eyes darted to the side as soon as he stepped out of the bookstore. A tall, overly muscled man met his eyes. Time slowed, and they stared at each other for a moment, before a perverse smirk twisted the man's face. Damn it.

Madara glared at him, wishing he could call upon the Sharingan. However, even if he was able to it would be suicide labeling himself as an Uchiha in a place like this. Instinctively, his hands tightened on Matsu, and Madara pulled him along, Inaba complaining in a loud voice as he followed them. It was a big risk exposing their backs to that man. Feeling the crunch of the gravel beneath his feet, Madara was hyper aware of everything. The howl of the wind, the thinning crowd, the way the man's chakra pulsed as he followed them at a distance.

This was bad. He was waiting till they got somewhere more secluded. Madara wracked his brain, shifting the book under his arm. The man wore nothing that could identify who he was allied with. Of course he didn't, no one did.

Inaba's chattering was getting louder. For all his nagging, he had dropped his guard when Madara needed him to be the most careful. Stupid. Inaba was proving to be more of a worry than Matsu at the moment.

His mind raced, trying to think of as many different scenarios as they could to get away without a fight. Madara whispered a small apology to Matsu in his heart. If things got hard, Madara would need to abandon the book his brother wanted so badly.

Matsu squeezed his hand again, and Madara honed in on the man's chakra again. There were three more people with him, and they were all high level shinobi. Madara squeezed Matsu's hand back, feeling the weight of the kunai in his sleeve. Hopefully Matsu and Inaba were armed as well, he would try to keep them out of the fight, but there was no guarantee. If these men caught him alone, Madara could have easily fought them off or slipped away. He wasn't alone though. He had his two little brothers with him. Nine year old Matsu, who was still relatively inexperienced in battle, with passable Taijutsu skills when he was healthy. Madara also had ten year old Inaba with him, who was talented with a sword and rather quick on his feet, but did not possess the skills to be of any use now. The taste of bile coated Madara's mouth. If he made even one mistake, it was very likely these people could kill one of his brothers.

"Inaba, Matsu," Madara spoke just above a mummer, and he could sense that their full attention was on him. What should he do? What was the best course of action? "Do exactly as I say. Do not argue or hesitate. Got it?" They were far enough away from the town that any fight would not be seen as all out war. The men were getting closer.

"Got it." They echoed, their voices were strong but Madara could feel Matsu's chakra trembling. The woman behind them started chuckling. A sensor. She was mocking them.

"Aw, look at them Yuuto," The woman spoke loudly, making it impossible for the Uchiha children not to hear. Inaba jumped, spinning on his heels to face the pursuers with a look of surprise. Matsu tried to do the same, but Madara held him tightly in place, glaring at the cackling group over his shoulder.

"So young and so very alone." The man from before was staring Madara down, clearly amused by his nerve. The man jabbed the woman in the side, "They must be stupid to wonder into our territory all by themselves." The group dropped into various fighting stances. The man grasped a long staff in his hand, leaning forward.

"I have no idea who you are." Madara snarled, letting the kunai finally fall into his hands. The weight was familiar and steady in his palms as he let go of Matsu's hand and calmly walked forward to stand in front of the dazed Inaba. "But this territory has been neutral for decades, we have not trespassed into anyone's territory." Madara knew it would not enough to dissuade them. He was buying time.

The man, Yuuto, laughed from deep within his belly and his comrades copied him, "You've got some nerve brat. The Shimaru clan has placed a claim, and we received orders to send anyone who challenges our claim back to their clan in body bags." Of course, Madara grit his teeth. Each of their faces had at least one clearly visable X carved into their skin, a clear sign of their allegiance to the Shimaru clan.

They were typically located on the edges of the Fire Country, close to the Land of Rivers. The Uchiha and Senju clans dominated the center of the Fire Country. The shinobi of the Shimaru were formidable, with iron wills and diverse skill sets. There were rumors that they were becoming more aggressive, but Madara never would have imagined they would be bold enough to come this far into Fire Country. Madara's grip on his kunai tightened. It made little sense. Why risk clashing with the Senju or the Uchiha, or even worse, both?

Matsu and Inaba were directly behind him, standing up straight and waiting impatiently for their brother to give them an order or some kind of signal. Madara could feel the tension in their bodies.

"Hey, hey, hey, Yuuto?" The shortest woman giggled delicately, giving Matsu the sweetest smile, "Can I have the little one? I promise I won't take too long this time?" Madara's blood boiled at the comment, but he did not move. The woman pouted and stuck her tongue out at him. She was baiting him. Something in Madara relaxed. So they wanted him to make the first move. Matsu stiffened behind Madara, and his chakra jerked for a moment. Madara wanted to turn around and comfort him, but that was not possible.

"Don't be so eager, Matsuri, besides, we need to decide which one we're keeping alive." The sensor type woman stood up straight and put her hands on her hip, lazily analyzing them. Then she slowly raised her hand, and pointed at Inaba, "That one. He annoys me the least." With that she lunged forward, and Madara sprinted to meet her. Her face twisted as she kicked her leg out, aiming for Madara's face. He stepped out of the way, bringing up his arm to block a punch from her.

His breathing slowed as she pulled a kunai from her hair and swiped at Madara's face. Her moves were quickly becoming predictable. Madara caught her wrist. He twisted, and the woman howled as her wrist snapped. Yanking her down, Madara shoved his kunai into her neck, ripping it out before letting her twitching body fall to the ground, her eyes still wide with surprise.

He could feel his heart thundering against his rib cage as he stood up tall, the woman's blood dripping from his blade, the book still tucked under his arm. Matsu and Inaba stood stunned as the Shimaru regarded Madara with a newfound respect. They seemed mildly annoyed by their comrade's death.

"I'll tell you one more time," Madara took a step forward, his voice rising, "Don't mess with me." There was silence.

Yuuto straightened up, and Madara's face fell when he realized there was only one person standing behind him. There was the sound of metal behind him, and Madara jerked around.

Matsu's knees were bent, a kunai held defensively in front of him as Matsuri's swords sailed over his head. They danced for a moment, Matsu leaping out of the way of her attacks. Their weapons clashed, and Matsu let out a cry as he sailed back, nearly flying into Madara before he was able to right himself.

"Lightning style. Her sword is covered in electricity." Matsu whimpered, one eye closed tightly as he began to cough. Inaba jumped back, getting between Matsu and the woman. Madara almost wanted to strangle him. Inaba did not have any weapons on him.

"Inaba!" Matsu tossed a kunai lightly, and Inaba caught it, clearly embarrassed at being caught unprepared. Yuuto's chakra flared, and Madara's attention was pulled away from his brothers again.

"Matsu, Inaba." Madara grunted as he knocked away Yuuto's staff and ducked under the final Shimaru's sword, "Don't let her drive you off, stay as close to me as possible." He was worried she would try to separate them. It was clear that Madara was a major threat, now they were reassessing Matsu and Inaba. If Matsuri realized that they were nothing to fear, she may try to kill one and take the other hostage to defeat Madara. As much as he wanted to tell them to run, Madara had no idea what the enemies full abilities were or how many of them were around the area. They might run straight into a trap.

"Right." Inaba's voice wavered as Matsu stepped up beside him. He could feel his youngest brother shaking, both in fear and from the pain of being electrocuted. Still, Matsu's eyes were filled with determination. It made Inaba angry with himself. How could he be so careless as to not come armed? And why were his hands shaking so much?

"You've got style kid," Yuuto swung his staff at Madara's feet, grunting as Madara jumped up and nailed him right in the face.

It felt great.

Yuuto had been bored from patrols all day, now he found a good opponent. Waving his hand, Yuuto signaled for his partner to move on. He wanted to fight this kid alone.

Madara called out as Yuuto's partner shifted his focus to Inaba and Matsu. The two were tied up, trying to take down the agile Matsuri with coordinated attacks. Neither used Ninjutsu, Inaba knew fire style, but Matsu did not. Still, Inaba stuck to Taijutsu, as their affinity to fire along with their dark hair and eyes might give away their heritage.

If the partner joined the other fight, Inaba and Matsu would be done for.

Without even thinking, Madara's hands flew though a set of signs, the book fell open as it hit the ground. His chakra bubbled in his belly before rushing out of his mouth. The partner cried out in surprise, barely managing to dodge the massive fireball. Yuuto rushed forward, the amusement in his eyes replaced with pure focus.

"I get it now," Yuuto dashed behind Madara, trying to catch him by surprise. "You're Uchiha aren't you?" Damn it, now they were in serious danger. Madara wanted to yell at himself for making such a stupid mistake, especially since he just acknowledged the danger of performing Ninjutsu affiliated with the Uchiha.

Jumping back, Madara let his sandals slide on the dirt until he was directly behind Inaba and Matsu, his back to theirs. He would need to stay close to them now. Tajima used to tell him stories of enemy shinobi picking a fight with the sole intention of kidnapping one of the Uchiha. It was a suicide mission, as the Uchiha were reputed to do anything to protect their bloodline, and anyone caught trying to kidnap an Uchiha would be hunted down and brutally slain. Still, their enemies tried. It was not impossible that Matsuri might decide to pluck Matsu or Inaba from the battlefield and run, getting further and further away as Madara tried to fight off her comrades.

"Elder brother, what should we do?" Matsu's voice shook a bit as the woman paused her attack, her focus still mainly on him. Matsu was careful not to use Madara's name. He was gaining a reputation in the Fire Country, and it would put the entire clan at risk if the heir apparent got kidnapped.

"Matsu, how's that jutsu that Manju taught you coming along? The one Izuna helped you with last week?" Madara's mind was flying, his heart pulsing in time with his chakra. Yuuto and his partner flew to Matsuri's side, waiting patiently for the lull in the fight to end. How polite.

" Well," Matsu paused, "I can do it, but I'll need them as close to me as possible." No. Madara imminently rejected the idea. His mind screamed at the mere possibility of Matsuri being anywhere near Matsu. Taking in a deep breath, Madara calmed himself down, his heart playing a rhythm only he could hear. He did not want to do this. Madara wanted to avoid going all out in front of Matsu at all cost, but it seems like he was not left with much of a choice.

"If something happens, and they get through me, use that jutsu and run." Matsu stiffened, and Inaba opened his mouth to protest, but Madara was already gone. His foot hit the ground, mere inches from Yuuto. The man's face twisted in surprise, before he dropped to the ground, hands around his throat as he screamed. Genjutsu.

Matsuri's swords pierced the ground where Madara stood only an instant before. She grunted, letting the handle of the swords go as she brought up her arms to shield her face from Madara's kick. He was so fast. She could not see him.

"Yuuto!" the unnamed man reached for Yuuto, clearly intending to break him out of the genjutsu. Jumping up high, Madara's hands weaved signs faster than he had ever done before. In the back of his mind, he thanked Hashirama for endless hours of sparing.

"Fire style, Fire Dragon bullet!" A sturdy cylinder of fire shot from Madara's mouth, streaming towards Matsuri and her comrades. Terror on her face, Matsuri grabbed both of her weapons just before the fire hit. Matsu and Inaba were knocked back by the sheer force of the blast. Rocks flew into the air, charred and flaming as dust clouded the area. Madara landed, and an icy breeze cleared the area. Yuuto was in the same place, skin blistering and black as he let out a strangled moan. The smell of cooked meat filled the air, and Madara felt disgusted when he realized it did not bother him.

Chakra shuddered, and Madara turned to look at Matsuri and the other man. Their faces were covered and scratches and sections of their clothes were burned, but they stood as far away from Madara as possible.

"Just who are you?" Matsuri's face was grim as she watched Yuuto take his final breath. Her stance was stiff, and there was no trace of the earlier giddiness and bloodlust she aimed at Matsu. Instead, she was leaning back, poised to flee.

"Madara Uchiha." He waited and got the reaction he expected. The woman's mouth dropped open, and she glared at him as if he had deceived her. The man by her side flinched, putting a hand on the hilt of his sword, as if Madara was a wild animal that would attack at any moment.

"The son of Tajima, Lord of the Uchiha clan." Matsuri muttered, looking at the other two boys for only a moment. They must be Tajima's other children, the littlest one had called Madara elder brother in the middle of the battle.

"Wait!" Madara knew he should just let them go, but he needed to know, "Why have the Shimaru come here? Do they mean to challenge the Uchiha?"

The woman smirked and said nothing, and Madara wanted to throw something at the smug look on her face.

"Why don't you wait and see, little Uchiha." She was gone, but her voice still echoed in Madara's ears. Her chakra was traveling fast, back towards the town, and away from the three Uchiha.

Madara stood up straight, but he could not relax. He did not have to go anywhere near his full abilities to defeat the group, just one strong hit to their leader and they fled. It was almost too easy, but then again, if Madara had lost half of his squad before the battle was in full swing, he would have pulled out too.

Now he looked over to his brothers. Inaba's legs were shaking, but he looked fine, only a few shallow cuts here and there. Then he turned his face. Madara winced at the deep looking gash on his cheek, blood oozing down his tan neck and staining the high collar of his shirt. Inaba's black eyes were wide, and Madara knew that he could not feel it.

Matsu was on the ground, sitting and slightly hunched over as he stared at the ground. His chakra was wavering, like he was trying to calm it down and focus. As the wind blew, Matsu caught another whiff of the smell of meat and looked over at Yuuto's corpse. The skin was splitting open, bright pink flesh oozed blood out of the cracks, and Matsu could not help but stare. He knew he should have been disgusted, and his brother's probably expected him to vomit up the street food he had for lunch. The sensation of nausea never came, only a gruesome fascination. If anything, Matsu was still shaken by the pure power behind Madara's attack, the way his chakra exploded when he ran into the fight for the second time.

It was so different than the chakra he knew. It was raw and uninhabited and absolutely suffocating. Matsu closed his eyes as Madara kneeled down beside him. Was this Madara's true power? The Uchiha prodigy that everyone talked about and his Father took pride in? Confusion and wonder left his mouth dry. Was this the power it took to survive a real fight?

"Matsu," Madara gently pet Matsu's hair, trying to bring him back. "Matsu, you're safe now, everything's going to be fine." Its what he always said after a battle, the lie that just always slipped past his lips.

"I'm not afraid," Matsu's voice was much steadier than Madara expected, and Matsu gave Madara a tired smile, "I'm just surprised. Elder brother, you really are amazing." There were deep lines under his eyes, and his eyes sagged a bit, but he did not fall unconscious. Madara sighed and gave Matsu a gentle smile back. Looking up, Matsu noticed the cut on Inaba's face and reached up, even though he was too far away to touch it. "Inaba, your face."

"You don't have to say it like that," Inaba tried to crack a joke. So he did feel it, Madara frowned. He did not have the supplies to patch it up right now, they needed to get back to Uchiha territory as soon as possible and disinfect it. Hopefully there was no poison on Matsuri's blade.

"Here," To Madara's surprise, Matsu pulled a roll of bandages, a bottle of disinfecting liquid, and white tape out of his shirt, motioning for Inaba to join him on the ground. "I was not sure how long we were going to be gone, and I still have one part of my ankle that isn't totally healed yet." Matsu answered Madara's unspoken question. His fingers were gentle as they made quick work of the wound. Inaba only complained twice.

The boys stood up, ready to head home. Madara paused, glancing back at the battle field, he calmly walked over to the book that laid sprawled open. It was face up, and there were diagrams of basic seals and explanations on their origin and history. Picking it up, Madara returned to his brothers, and they began their walk home.

Within an hour, they were back inside the Uchiha territory, a wooden sign warned travelers of the potential dangers of wondering into shinobi territory. Matsu clutched the book to his chest now, his legs aching with each step. Looking up, he could see Madara's back. The eldest brother's spikey black hair swayed slightly with each step, and his posture was relaxed but steady.

Matsu was in awe. He heard tons of stories about Madara's power back in camp. Sometimes after a victory, Matsu, Iku, and a couple of the other children would sneak into the adult bonfire and listen to their drunk relatives narrate the tales of triumph. The bitter smell of beer and the steady beat of the drums as the clansmen danced around the fire, giddy and blissful. It was one of Matsu's favorite things.

"Madara," Inaba was glancing behind him, senses on high alert after the confrontation, "When you go to report this to Father, can I come with you?" It was unlikely Tajima would allow Inaba into the meeting unless Madara explicitly wanted him there. In the past, this did not bother him, in fact it was a relief. Tajima would send for someone to bring Madara and Izuna to whatever council or diplomatic meeting Tajima orchestrated, and Inaba could laze around the compound, eating fruit and playing with the twins.

Of course, despite Inaba's obvious lack of enthusiasm, Tajima was determined to see if his third child could be another potential prodigy with just a bit of extra nudging. When Inaba turned eight, Tajima started inviting him to important clan meetings and general meetings alike. That lasted for about two months. After Inaba started snoring during a ceremonial visits from the Kohaku clan, Tajima quickly gave up and left Inaba to his own devices.

That was before he had seen war. Before he had realized the pitiful limits of his own power, and how much of a burden he was to his clan.

Madara's mouth opened a bit in surprise, but he crossed his arms over his chest thoughtfully and nodded, "Sure, I'll talk to Father. Are you sure though? This meeting is probably going to drag out since the Shimaru are involved." A new potential enemy would send the council into a frenzy.

"Yeah, I," Inaba paused, clenching his fist, "I want to help."

"Can I help too?" Matsu echoed, looking at his elder brothers' backs. Of course, the first thing he would do when he got home was find Iku and tell him everything. Iku was going to be so jealous that Matsu got to see Madara in action, but Matsu remembered everything perfectly, and would weave such a colorful story that Iku would forget he was stuck in the compound.

"Not a chance." That was it. Madara was not going to let the council anywhere near Matsu. It was not even an option. The members of the council were made up of the military leaders of the Uchiha, old and young, as well as some of the key civilian leaders. Each of them had their own goals for themselves and for the Uchiha, they held significant influence over the clan. Madara quickly learned that, even though they were all on the same side, the power struggle within the council was anything but civil. Underhanded trick like blackmail and bribery were not unheard of, and every clan member was a pawn to increase their power. To them, the children of Tajima were only shiny cards to be played at the right time. So far, Tajima had limited the twins' interaction with the council, for his own sake. It would not do to have them side with another member of the council and tip the balance away from Tajima.

Even if they were the youngest children, and it was highly unlikely either of them would ever rule the clan, they possessed desirable traits. They belonged to the main family; the purest Uchiha blood ran through their veins. Having a daughter marry either of the twins would give any potential child the right to challenge for leadership in the future. Neither Tajima or Madara put it past the members of the council to plan that far ahead. However, the more immediate danger was the influence the twins had over Madara. Although the boy was obedient now, the members of the council knew that Madara preferred peace to war. Something that almost all of them hated. Gaining the loyalty of the twins would give them direct access to Madara in the future, perhaps enough to dissuade him from changing the status quo.

"Why not?" Matsu's voice dropped, instantly annoyed that Inaba was allowed to go but he was not. Izuna and Madara always told him how smart he was and what a good diplomat he would be one day, but they never let him attend any of the discussions about clan matters outside of the general meetings. "You said Inaba can go!"

"Inaba has been on the front lines with before, so the council respects him. If you show up, they'll just complain that I've been sheltering you and try to get Father to send you out." Hopefully that would end the conversation. Madara was never very good at explaining to his younger siblings why he sheltered them so much, and it often caused arguments. Madara would deal with their frustration; he'd rather do that than bury them because they were too hasty to grow up.

"They're right. Me and Iku are the only kids our age who haven't been on the front lines yet, it's kind of unfair." Matsu knew he was being difficult, but he wanted to pull a solid answer out of Madara. He was always so secretive and never let the twins really know what was going on. It hurt, Matsu frowned, and its like Madara does not trust them to know the truth.

Its not like Matsu actually wanted to go out on the front lines, he knew how bad it got out there. His mind return to the image of the girl stiffly walking into her home, one arm missing its hand and covered in bloody, dirty bandages. War was not something he wanted to experience, but he knew he would have to do it eventually. Yet, Madara's protective nature extended past the aspect of the front lines. He never let the twins in certain meetings, he would pull them out of the house when certain people came to visit, and he specifically requested Kinpu's inner patrol squad, to keep them close to the compound and away from missions outside of the Uchiha territory.

"War is unfair. Children die violent deaths because of the selfish whims of adults. We fight and kill each other so much that we're not even sure why anymore. People get attacked for no other reason than they have a different last name." Madara ground his teeth, his eyes narrowed in front of him, "I have no intention of letting any of you die pointless deaths. Neither you or Iku can defend yourselves out there right now, and until you can, I will do everything in my power to keep you from the front lines." Matsu was silent, the passion behind Madara's words hit him in the chest. It was weird. Matsu had never heard Madara speak this way before.

Of course, he always knew Madara did not like the war between the Senju and Uchiha, but he had never said it outloud before. That would be inviting the anger of not only their father, anyone who had lost a loved one in the conflict. Perhaps it was because it was only the three of them and the trees that Madara dared to speak such sacrilege. Matsu remembered the book in his hands. If Madara was against this war, Matsu wanted to understand why.


	6. Chapter 6

Madara bowed his head, gripping the cloth over his knees and squeezing it in his fingers. The windows were dark, only the smallest slither of the moon providing any light for anyone walking about. Inside the council meeting, multiple candles and a fireplace lit the room, making it easy to see the men and women gathered in a circle. There were three people missing, but it was of little concern. Their voices were growing louder, the jasmine tea that Kyoko prepared grew cold as news of the Shiruma's hostile stance began to sink in. Izuna on his right, and Inaba sat next to Izuna. Both of them kept calm faces, and Madara wanted to be proud of them.

After they returned to the compound Madara shooed Matsu off, and he and Inaba went home to report to Tajima. It went just as he suspected. Tajima was relaxing in the garden, Kyoko leaning on him lightly when Madara asked to speak to him. After hearing that the Shiruma were attempting to take over neutral territory that contained vital supplies to the clan, Tajima called for the council. Inaba gulped audibly as they followed behind Tajima into the council room after dark, Izuna appearing a few minutes later.

Although he asked to come, Inaba could never shake the jitters that came with council meetings. So many powerful and influential people gathered in one room, it made him feel small and more pitiful than he usually felt. Now though, as the most powerful members of their clan began yelling and tempers rose, Inaba absolutely regretted his pledge to try harder.

"Lord Tajima, that village is one of the clan's only ways to get passage to the Land of Wind." Koromu Uchiha was a civilian, and the unofficial leader of the Uchiha civilians. Though they were few in number, they were still enough of them that they needed some sort of representation on the council. Koramu was the richest member of the Uchiha, his skill in negotiating the best trade deals for the clan and securing the best supplies made him and invaluable asset to shinobi and civilians alike. "If we allow the Shimaru to cut us off, not only do we lose an important market for basic goods and a dependable passageway to the Land of Wind, but we also lose all the mission request we receive from the villagers."

"I am well aware of what is at risk, Koroma." Tajima stood tall as the rest of the council sat, frustrated, on the ground. "However, we must be careful in our approach. We don't want to drive the Shimaru away, and confuse the other clans in the area in the process. If they believe that we are taking over the area, it could start an all out territory dispute."

"A four way fight between the Uchiha, Senju, Shiramu, and Inazuka clans would be unlikely." A beautiful woman with silky black hair that pooled on the ground behind her, Mai Uchiha, examined her nails in boredom, "I have heard rumors that the Inazuka clan head is dreadfully ill. His daughter has started overtaking most of the major duties, but the child is still rather timid in her leadership. I doubt she'll want to risk potentially alienating both the Senju and Uchiha this early in her reign." Mai spoke slowly, Inaba almost found himself hypnotized by her deep voice. Madara rolled his eyes, as expected from the Uchiha's lead spy and head of the clan's intelligence network.

"So the Inazuka won't be a problem, still," Tajima paused, "Mai, could you get one of your students to infiltrate the Inazuka and report back on the stability of the leadership. Inumaru was a strong man, but he was a neglectful leader. If there is a chance for us to snatch the Eastern forest from them, I want to do it." Mai affirmed that she would get right on that, small smile on her lips as she began plotting in her head. Tajima folded his arms into his sleeves, "I don't want this growing out of hand."

"It's a bit late for that, the Shiruma challenged us directly when they attacked Lord Madara and the other two boys. Regardless of what we want, we can not let this stand." Elder Yagami sat up straight, the lines on his face deepened as he frowned.

"We should call upon the Hagoromo clan. They are still in our debt after we helped them push the Senju out of their land." Kyoko spoke up, glancing at her sons' who were rather quiet tonight. "I could go to them and discuss it. If we decide to take the village for ourselves, we could offer them free passage to the Land of Wind, as well as some of the supplies available in the village?"

"Its not a bad idea," Gacho grunted, glancing at his younger sister with slight approval, "It would be a major blow to the Senju bastards."

"It won't be that easy," Madara glared at Gacho, the two often butt heads. "The Senju are just as reliant on that village as we are, and they won't let it go so easily. Plus, the Senju might already be aware of the Shiruma's presence there, and might decide to ally with them to fight us off. The Hagoromo are strong, but they still haven't recovered from their last encounter with the Senju."

"Then what do you suppose we do, brat?" Gacho spat at his nephew, ignoring the disapproving side glance from Mai.

"Enough." Tajima was not going to allow Madara to go off on one of his ridiculous peace rants today. While the boy was unearthly strong and possessed intelligence unmatched within the clan, Madara still had not outgrown his naïve dreams of peace. Ultimately, anything that came out of the boy's mouth right now would be unhelpful. "Kyoko, gather your entourage and set out for the Hagoromo in two days time to discuss. Koroma, try to see if you can get a sense of what the villagers are thinking. See if they would welcome an permanent and exclusive alliance with the Uchiha."

"Should we also court the Hyuuga? Their clan head has a daughter around your sons' ages. Perhaps if we start a dialogue over this, we could aim for a stronger alliance down the line." Gacho smugly watched Madara's face morph into one of annoyance. Izuna kept his face blank, but Inaba showed blatant disgust for the topic. It was inevitable that Madara's marriage would be arranged, and it would absolutely be to someone within the Uchiha, to keep the main family's bloodline pure. The other four brothers however were unsure of their futures. While they were under no legal obligation to marry, there would be major pressure to marry for the benefit of the clan. This could mean the daughter of one of the council members, or an outsider to unite the clans though blood ties. When Inaba thought of marrying anyone, he felt absolutely icky.

"I wouldn't, I've heard that the little fairies are as demure as they are beautiful. They've never seen a day of battle in their lives. There's no self respecting Uchiha man who would marry such delicate flowers." Mai winked at the boys, ignoring the glare Gacho sent her way. Madara gave her a small smirk in return. She was by far his favorite council member.

"Speaking of never seeing a day of battle," Madara froze as a woman stepped into the council room. Her short curly hair slightly damp with sweat, her armor clinked as she walked further into the room and bowed to Tajima and took a seat, "You're two youngest boys still haven't seen a real battle yet have they, my Lord?" Madara hated Michiko. She was as powerful as she was beautiful, and ever more bloodthirsty than Gacho. It had been a blessing that she was not present for the discussion of the Shimaru, as she would have rallied for an immediate raid. It would be hard for Tajima to ignore her, as she represented the most violent and impulsive members of the clan. Mostly young men and women who were so loyal to the clan, they could not envision a world that was not ruled by the Uchiha.

"General Michiko, its good to have you with us. Did your mission go well?" Tajima's frown deepened, the lines on his face became more pronounced. He respected the woman, but he rarely enjoyed listening to him criticizing his parenting choices. Gulping down a few small cups of tea, Michiko sighed, leaning back on her arms.

"Everything went well. We cleared the bandits out of the area, and the village chief paid us double for getting it done so fast. He also offered us a prospective trade deal." Pulling a scroll from her armor, she tossed it over to Koroma, who instantly ripped it open. Her eyes slid back to Tajima, "Anyway, about those boys of yours,"

"Oh give it a rest, Michiko. If you're so interested in how the boys are being raised why don't you go have children of your own?" Mai smiled, her teeth bared like a cackling hyena. Ignoring the jab, Michiko continued.

"The twins are far past the acceptable age to begin fighting on the front lines. They're the only boys in their age group who have yet to contribute to the clan's forces in a respectable way. You're favoritism has many in the clan angry. How can you ask them to send out their children to fight when you won't send out your own."

"Matsu and Iku aren't ready for battle yet," Inaba blurted out quickly, jumping to his feet. He could feel himself freeze as everyone turned to him in surprise, Tajima's eyes burned with rage. Inaba was not a council member like Madara, he was only a guest like Izuna, and had no right to speak here. It was highly disrespectful, but he could not stop. "Madara, Izuna, and I have all gone to fight, but the twins still need more time. They'll be killed if they go out now, and the Uchiha already have enough fighters,"

"How much more time should they have?" Michiko spat, eyes bursting with disgust at the emotional display, "Another year? Two? There are boys two years younger than them that have gone and died on the front lines. If they are incapable, they have themselves to blame. The clan cannot continue to feed useless mouths."

"Enough!" Tajima roared, his sharingan spinning wildly in his eyes. Inaba couldn't move from his spot, standing on shaking legs. Michiko looked down, glaring at the tea cup in her hand. "This meeting is over. Mai, Koroma, I want updates by the end of the week. Dismissed." Kyoko was by Tajima's side in an instant. Her face was a perfect mask of dutiful concern as she touched his shoulder. Looking at his parents now, Madara could have believed they were in love.

Things were relatively quiet as everyone shuffled out. Gacho and Michiko chatted lightly, and Koroma quietly braced himself for the cold. Before stepping outside, Mai glanced back and threw Inaba a pitying smile before she disappeared, helping Elder Yagami down the step. Elder Tsabasa remained sitting, preventing Tajima from releasing his rage on Inaba. A small amused smiled graced her face as she analyzed the terrified little boy in front of her. He was such a lazy and useless brat, it was a nice change to see him speaking up.

"Is there something you needed, Elder?" Tajima's tone said he just wanted her to leave, but she only waved her hand at his tone. Usually she would have laughed at him, but even she was not so bold as to mock the clan head in front of his children.

"Actually I wanted to talk to Lady Kyoko." Tsabasa grunted as she tried to stand, then smiled when she felt Izuna's hands gently helping her to her feet. Such a good boy, Tsabasa had no idea where he learned such good manners. Kyoko raised a slender eyebrow at Tsabasa when she waved the woman over, gesturing to the door. "Lets talk in the next room, just us girls." Tsabasa chuckled, then shuffled into the next room, confident that Kyoko would follow.

Within a few moments, Kyoko slid the door shut. It did little to drown out Tajima's yelling, but Kyoko ignored it. The elder woman walked to the middle of the room and looked around fondly.

"Those boys of yours are so troublesome. You must be devastated that you didn't get at least one girl to soothe your headaches." It was a light hearted tease, meant to make Kyoko relax.

"A girl would not make a difference. Boy or girl is irrelevant, as long as they can fulfill the role the clan needs them to play." Kyoko stayed near the door, back straight and hands folded neatly in front of her. She was not a fan of Tsabasa, the old woman wanted progress but was unwilling to make the hard choices to reach the end. It was why her life was decorated with failure. It was why she was still alive.

"You've always been obsessed with roles, and positions, and order. I doubt there was ever a Uchiha Matriarch that was as dedicated to her role as you are." Tsabasa paused, "To the point were you would give birth to children for the sole point of experimenting on them."

"Its not an experiment," Kyoko's calm façade cracked and she began to whisper, painfully aware of the children in the next room, "Operation Kaleidoscope has been researched by Elder Yagami and his students for decades, it will not fail."

"And yet, with all his research, Yagami could not prove his theory before now. And he's tried many, many times." Tsabasa's sharingan spun into focus, and Kyoko glared back with her own sharingan.

"Those trials were not pure enough. I know what I'm doing, I've known for the past eleven years. My duty is to the betterment of the clan, and I pass on that will to my children. They will understand when the time comes." Kyoko was sure of herself, there was no doubt that her sons would fall in line one day. Right now they were young, and still did not understand the duty they were blessed with, but one day they would.

"And if they don't?" Tsabasa pressed, trying to get through to the young mother while there was still time.

"They will." Kyoko's lips were set in a thin line, and for the first time Tsabasa thought she looked ugly. The two women were silent for a few minutes, both trying to calculate their next moves. Tsabasa hummed, and slumped her shoulders forward in defeat. She may not have reached Kyoko today, but there were still time. At least five or six years.

"When you go to the Hagoromo, you should take that Matsu boy with you." Tsabasa changed the conversation with a nod of her chin. Kyoko's eyes narrowed in question, standing up straight, her voice resumed with smooth and monotone nature.

"Is there any reason? As far as I am aware, you've never met him. What use would he be on a diplomatic mission?" Kyoko was very particular about the Uchiha she brought with her on diplomatic meetings. There was so much complexity and unsaid formalities she needed to consider. Her entourage must consist of men and woman who were both strong and beautiful, to show off not only the Uchiha's battle prowess, but also their natural genetic superiority. It was always harder to talk down to beautiful people, and it often made lesser clans nervous when a group of formidable, ethereal Uchiha marched into their camp. Every move needed to be calculated to give the Uchiha the edge.

"I have met him, although he has not met me." Tsabasa clapped her hands together, "And I rather like him. He's smart. Of all your children, I think he'll be the one who could take on your legacy."

"Just what are you trying to do, Elder Tsabasa? You know that's not how it will end."

"A wise woman is always prepared to change directions if a tree falls on her path." Tsabasa hummed, before clapping her hand twice, and walking out of the room, leaving Kyoko alone.

Swallowing, Kyoko's eyebrows scrunched together as she stared at the spot where Tsabasa was just standing. Heinous whispers of doubt twisted in her mind as a small sense of pride bubble in her heart. She brushed all those feelings away, taking a deep breath. This was not the time for that, she could still hear Tajima raging in the other room. Kyoko relaxed her body and smoothed out her awasa, before she turned, poised and controlled, to calm down her husband. As was her duty.

Matsu followed Manju through the compound. Little sprinkles of mist dampened his hair, sticking stray pieces to his cheeks as he carefully avoided the growing puddles. The temperature was dropping fast, Kyoko noted that they may be getting snow soon if stroms kept rolling in from the coast. That would be a pleasant change. As much as he disliked the cold, Matsu enjoyed walking through the snow. The crunch of his shoes against the frozen liquid always sent a pleasant shiver up his spine.

After returning from his trip with Madara and Inaba, the boys stayed up all night waiting for Inaba, Izuna, and Madara to return from the emergency council meeting. While they waited, Matsu told Iku about the trip in extensive detail, making sure to tell Iku how cool Madara was. Matsu left out the part about Inaba being unprepared. Iku was a talker, and Matsu did not want him to accidently say something and have the entire clan scoffing at Inaba.

"Pay attention, Matsu." Manju slowed is walk until they were in step, Matsu having to stretch his gait to keep pace. This was the first time Matsu had ever seen Manju out of his armor. The black that he usually wore would clank and shift with the man's move, but now that he was in civilian clothes, he was almost totally silent.

"How come Iku couldn't come? We've barely talked at all this week." Matsu grumbled, shivering as a small breeze pushed his braid off his shoulder. His hair was getting long, the braid almost reached the middle of his back. If he waited another year, it might be as long as his mother's. Matsu huffed at the thought, then they would look really alike with the same hairstyle, skin tone, and eyes. He would just have to talk to Iku about cutting it.

"Although it wasn't my intention, I'm glad you two have spent a decent amount of time apart. It isn't healthy to stay connected at the shoulders. Besides, Iku got three days of my full, undivided attention," Matsu shivered, "so he gets a bit of a break. Since you've finally recovered, its time we focus on you for a little bit." They approached a door, and Matsu arched an eyebrow. He wasn't too familiar with this side of the compound. Mostly old veterans lived here with whatever family they had left, away from the hustle of the center of the compound.

"You never told me where we are going." Matsu peaked around Manju as he knocked three times on the wooden door. Looking down, Manju gave him a crooked smile as the door opened. There was an old woman wrapped in multiple layers of clothing, her collar was high enough to cover her chin. She frowned at Manju, before the noticed the movement behind him.

"Good morning, Elder Tsabasa."

"Shut up, Manju, you stupid boy, I told you to bring him last week." Tsabasa shook her finger in Manju's face, her bony wrist shaking. Letting out a small laugh at his teacher's expense, Matsu gulped when those deep black eyes snapped to look at him. Matsu and Iku never got the chance to meet Tsabasa. She was a highly respected elder who won many key victories for the Uchiha in the past, and she only allowed the highest ranking members of the clan to bother her.

"Good morning, Elder Tsabasa. My name is Matsu, I'm Manju's student and the youngest son of Lord Tajima and Lady Kyoko." Matsu bowed, back perfectly straight as Tsabasa looked him over.

"You've healed nicely." She remarked, waving them inside.

"You knew about my injuries?" Matsu quickly looked around the house. It was cluttered, vials and bottles were lined up on the walls in rows, potted plants crowded every window.

"Of course, who do you think healed them?" Tsabasa paused as she led them through the house and into the garden out back, glaring at Manju. "Did you not tell him?"

"Never got the chance?" Manju laughed weakly, groaning when Tsabasa muttered an insult under her breath.

"What did you forget to tell me?" Matsu tugged on Manju's back, but the man only moved his arm away, ignoring him. They walked outside into the garden. Matsu breathed in the air. There was a stream running through the garden, everything smelled damp and earthy. A few plants waved lazily in the winter breeze, one was even in bloom.

"Alright, lets get started." Tsabasa turned around and sat on the ground, facing them as she shuffled in her spot to get comfortable. Manju and Matsu looked at each other and then at back at Tsabasa. If they were alone, Matsu would have yelled at Manju for not explaining things before they got in front of the elder. Briefly, he wondered if Tajima knew where they were. Probably not. Tajima would have made Kyoko run Matsu though hours of drills to perfect his manners beforehand if Tajima knew he was going to see Elder Tsabasa today.

The woman sucked her teeth at Matsu's hesitation, "Well don't keep me waiting, its cold down here. Come, sit."

"Yes, Elder." Instantly, Matsu followed her orders, blushing a little at his rudeness. Manju shrugged and sat on the porch as he watched them.

"That's a good boy. Now," Tsabasa bit her thumb and let the bead of blood trail down her palm, quickly making hand signs before she slammed her hand on the ground, "Summoning Jutsu."

Matsu crossed his arms over his face as the ground erupted in smoke, the force of the jutsu sending his hair flying everywhere.

"Well this is a surprise," a new, deep voice greeted them, and Matsu peaked his eyes open. In the middle of the still clearing smoke, sat a small golden cat decorated with black spots and stripes. His large dark brown eyes regarded Matsu as if the boy was nothing more than a lost puppy, "It's been a while since you've had company, Basa-chan."

"No way," Manju's eyes widened as the smoke cleared enough for him to see the small cat in the center. He never thought he would see it in person.

"You know how much I hate people, Okoku." Tsabasa chuckled at the looks of awe on Matsu and Manju's faces. "Matsu, this is Okoku, the heir of the Margay and my summon animal. Okoku, this is Matsu, a potential student of mine."

"Potential student?" Matsu frowned, his mind racing a mile a minute. So that's why Manju brought him here, he wanted Matsu to learn something from the elder, but what? In all the stories he heard of Tsabasa's time, she was never referred to as a great warrior, so what was Manju hoping Matsu would gain from her? It was obvious Manju wasn't trying to get rid of Matsu, he was still here, watching and observing when he could have just left.

"Don't interrupt grownups when they're talking." Tsabasa snapped, making Okoku chuckle darkly when Matsu jumped. "It's not decided yet, I need to see something first." She looked into the eyes of the cat, "I'd like to run through the flow test with him, if you do not mind?"

"You haven't called me in years and when you finally do its to do drills with a small kitten?" the margay scoffed, a hint of amusement in his tone. He looked out into the garden, eyes roaming through a row of bushes. He lunged, body extended. His tail swished in the air as he cornered a stray cat and snatched it off the ground like a ragdoll. It thrashed and squealed as Okoku brought it back, and dropped it like a stone in Tsabasa's lap.

"Don't be such a wuss." Tsabasa snatched the stray up in her long, thin fingers. She held it by its neck with one hand, and used the other to guide Matsu, "Place one hand on the head, and grab the tail with your other hand."

"Gently, kitten." The margray hummed as Matsu did as he was instructed with a little hesitance. He wanted to know what was going on, but it didn't look like anyone planned on giving him a full run down until they were satisfied. The normal cat continued thrashing, Matsu could feel its boney neck heaving as it struggled to breathe with Matsu's hand on its windpipe.

"Ok, now what?" Matsu felt sick as the cat became louder and louder.

"Run your chakra from your hand, to his head down to his tail, and back into your other hand. Create a continuous and consistent loop." Tsabasa frowned at Matsu's hesitance, the panic in his eyes as he began to protest.

"Run my chakra through his body? But I'll kill him if my chakra isn't steady!" Matsu started to let go, but Tsabasa's hands darted out and caught his wrist, forcing him in place.

"Did I ask for your input?" Tsabasa's voice became mocking, "A boy who is unable to fight in this clan is absolutely useless. You've already proven incompetent in most things, show me that you have at least one talent."

Matsu squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced, trying not to let her words get to him as her nails dug into his skin.

"What exactly is the point of this? Why am I killing him?" Matsu could hear his heart in his chest, thundering louder and louder. He was becoming more sensitive to his surroundings. He could feel the small trace of chakra in the cat's body, and Okoku's booming chakra was like nothing he had ever sensed before.

"Who said anything about killing it? If you do it right, the cat won't die! I need to know that you have the disposition to handle what I'm going to be teaching you." Tsabasa answered impatiently, " We as ninja are required to do things that we do not want to do, and I need to make sure you will do what is needed. The power that I can pass on to you is immense, and I must make sure you are strong enough to handle the burden. You have shown yourself incapable of walking the path of the traditional Uchiha warrior; you'd be killed in seconds against any real Senju. The only reason you're alive now is because of the talent and influence of your elder brother Madara, who is embarrassingly more talented than you even though the same blood runs though your veins." That struck a nerve, and Matsu's grip on the cat tightened. Tsabasa continued, "As you are right now, you are useless to the clan. A burden that should have his eyes ripped from his heads and thrown out the gate."

"Elder Tsabasa, that's uncalled for." Manju snarled, he was on his feet and took a step towards them. Okoku was in front of him in seconds, staring up at the man with little interest.

"You brought him to me because you knew that I was the only one who could help him at this point." Tsabasa's voice stayed level, "Sit down, boy, you're not needed here. Be grateful I'm even allowing you to bear witness." She turned to look back at Matsu, who's head was tipped down so she could not see his eyes. "You're existence will only cause trouble for your family in the long run. Even now, you're falling behind your twin, and he will soon leave you totally. If you want the power to stand beside him, and beside Madara and Izuna, you will need this power I am giving you."

"What power is so specific that I must risk killing an innocent cat to get it?" Matsu spat, still not looking at the elder. "That's such a stupid test, kill the cat and get enough power to make a weakling like me worthy of standing beside Madara? This makes no sense, just tell me what's going on. What is this power?" Matsu could feel his heart in his throat, and his body felt oddly light and heavy at the same time. He did not know why he was even hesitating. This power could get him to where he needed to be. His mind flashed back to the fight against the Shimaru. Matsu was so useless in that battle. Inaba had been badly injured. He would have a scar on his face from now on, always mocking Matsu. With the power he was being offered, he could prevent that; he could help Madara next time. The life of one cat was little more than pocket lint in the face of no longer being a burden on his loved ones. So why did he hesitate?

"Try it and you will see. If you do it correctly, the cat will suffer little, that's why I told you to start at the head." Tsabasa paused when the boy's shoulders started shaking, "The clan needs the power I can give you. In almost thirty years, you are the first person who I believe may be able to handle this burden, show me I was right."

Matsu let go. The cat fell to the ground in a heap before scrambling back into the bushes. It did not look back. Matsu did not look up.

"I can't. No power is worth potentially taking the life of someone who is already on the brink of death. Especially when they have never done me or my family any harm." He took a deep breath, and looked Tsabasa directly in the eyes, "I'll find my own power, one where I can support my brothers without sacrificing myself." He bowed, forehead touching the ground, "Forgive me, Elder Tsabasa, but I am unworthy of becoming your student. I am sorry for wasting your time."

Manju watched silently as Tsabasa stood up with a huff and slowly walked back inside, closing the door behind her. Okoku regarded Matsu softly, before slinking out of the way so Manju could go comfort his student. Kneeling down next to Matsu, Manju slowly sat the boy up so he was no longer bowing. Matsu's hands were fisted on his knees, digging into the skin with his nails.

"I'm so sorry, Manju. I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill the cat. What kind of ninja," His voice caught, and he threw his hands over his mouth, as if he could catch the sobs before they came out. Manju sighed and put a hand on his head.

"You're such a gentle child." Manju chided, "Don't apologize. If I had any idea that she was going to do something like that, I would not have brought you." Manju wanted to kick himself.

Tsabasa was from a crueler time, one where children were mutilated and exiled from the clan if they were not up to the standard. The practice stopped in the middle of Tajima's father's reign, but the older generation was still scarred from the practice. Still, he never imagined Tsabasa would put Matsu through such a barbaric trail.

Another, uglier, part of Manju was disappointed. It would have been easy for Matsu to complete the task, and even if he failed, Tsabasa only wanted to see him try. What was the life of one cat when the power Matsu gained could potentially save his life. Tsabasa was an old woman, and she did not survive this long by being a weak woman. Anything she had to teach was going to be life changing, and Matsu threw that away. Now, Manju wasn't sure what he was going to do with the boy. They were running out of options. If gen jutsu didn't work, then, well, Manju would need to have a serious talk with Tajima. Maybe send Matsu to the Outpost to live out his days recording and preserving the Uchiha history in the library. Even before the thought finished, Manju knew it was impossible. Matsu was the son of the leader of the Uchiha clan, he would die honorably on the battlefield, or he would die a disgrace. There was no other fate.

"Here." They both jumped when Tsabasa dumped six scrolls in front of Matsu. They were all thick, almost as wide as Manju's biceps. "Read those and have them memorized in, hm, lets say four days?"

"What?" Matsu's hands reached out and touched one of the scrolls. It rolled open, revealing a small section about cellular anatomy. Manju looked up to Tsabasa, a small smirk on his face. He finally understood.

"You brats today have such horrid hearing, I bet its because you spend too much time talking and not enough training." Tsabasa grumbled, but there was a small smile on her face. "I'll repeat myself once, but don't get used to it brat. I expect my students listen to their elders and their patients the first time something is said."


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is dedicated to Elise142. Thank you so much for your consistent support. It means the world to me!**

Manju kneeled on one knee, his right fist pressing into the wooden floor. Outside, he could hear a few drunk clansmen whooping and hollering as they stumbled home to their families. Inside, the room smelled like sage. Kyoko must have thrown some into the fire before she retired for the night, he could imagine her solemn eyes watching the final flames flicker out of existence.

"A medic?" Tajima bit his thumb nail, his face twisted in displeasure as his wrinkles became more pronounced. The heavy bags under the man's eyes and his less than perfect posture indicated long hours of work. There were rumors among the clansmen that the council was planning some kind of raid soon, but the details varied. If Manju was a betting man, he would have put his money on the Shiruma holding the village in the mountains, but he was not sure.

"Yes, my Lord. Elder Tsabasa personally requested that I bring Matsu in for testing, and then she accepted him as her student." Manju paused, feeling unsure of his next words, "I think this is the best opportunity for him. Elder Tsabasa is a well respected woman, everyone has heard stories of her medical prowess,"

"And Matsu is incapable of becoming a standard shinobi," Tajima cut him off, and Manju bowed his head deeper, "Is that what you are implying?"

"Yes," Manju hated the word as it left his mouth, "Matsu is very smart, but he thinks too much in battle. He is unable to let go. While he can master the forms of any sword style I show him, he can never translate it to a real fight. He can take a hit, but he thinks too much which causes him to hesitate. If he becomes a medic, he'll become an asset on the field, and his value will only increase if he is personally taught by Elder Tsabasa." Manju did not want to point out that the number of medics within the clan was abysmally low. Elder Tsabasa was apart of the last generation of Uchiha medics, after them the number of medics began to shrink drastically. Partially due because there was more honor is becoming a fighter, and partially because the next few generations did not possess the talent to heal at the level required.

"There has never been a member of the main family that has been so incompetent he could not be of some use one the battle field." Tajima wanted to feel disappointed, but he only felt empty. The words he was saying now were only coming from the mouth of the clan leader, not the concerned words of Matsu's father. When had that happened? When had Tajima separated himself so fully from his youngest child? Oh yes, it was when Yagami laid out Operation Kaleidoscope. Tajima had distanced himself from Matsu before the boy was even born.

"He is not incompetent," Manju snapped, but quickly muttered an apology, "Matsu is smart, he's just not battle savvy. He could probably plan attacks and strategize well though, perhaps you could,"

"Matsu will not be allowed in the council meetings, he has not earned that right. Besides, I already have Madara and Izuna, I do not need a strategist, I need a fighter." Tajima's frown deepened, "I should have known that Madara and Izuna were too good to be true. The Gods have blessed me with two prodigies, and cursed me with three worthless duds." Tajima ignored the way Manju's muscles tightened and his teeth grinded. The young man was passionate, easily possessing more love for his clan members than just about anyone in his generation. However, this tended to cloud his judgment, as he thought all Uchiha lives were equal, which was unfortunately not the case. Perhaps Tajima had made an error in judgment when he assigned Manju to the boys. He had hoped Manju would inspire them, and his observational skills would target the boys' weaknesses and magnify whatever talents they possessed.

So far this was the case. Despite what he told Iku and Matsu after they embarrassed him in front of Kinpu, Tajima did keep tabs on them. He hid in the trees when the twins first met Manju. He watched them train together, sporadically of course, but often enough to notices the changes. Iku's skill exploded under Manju's guidance in a way that baffled Tajima. Iku was Tajima's wild child, passionate and proud, he glowed under Manju. His form was sharper, his chakra was less eager, and his skill with the sword improved. The boy possessed so much energy and raw strength, if he was not Tajima's son, the clan might have thought an Inazuka child snuck into the compound.

So unlike his twin.

Though they looked the same, they fought differently. Matsu was more controlled; his chakra was always smooth and steady. Manju was right, Matsu's form was always perfect, slow and relaxed with every movement. Battles are not slow. They are unpredictable and chaotic and fast. There was no time for slow, there was no time for absolutely perfect form. One needed to be able to adjust, to make chaos look beautiful and effortless. That was true power.

Matsu could not do that. He did not understand chaos. Manju realized that. Perhaps that's why he focused on developing the boy's chakra sensory abilities and intellectual prowess.

Matsu had almost caught Tajima watching them once. His chakra senses ghosted too close for Tajima's liking, and the man luckily decided to cloak himself. It was not much, but it was enough to keep him hidden from Matsu. That was a week ago, if they kept pace with their advancements, he would not be able to hide from Matsu for much longer. It was aggravating; the twins truly were one soul in two bodies. Tajima wanted to laugh in bitter frustration. If he could put Matsu's mind into Iku's body, he would have a son worthy of being called the younger brother of Madara and Izuna.

"My Lord, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I think the skills Elder Tsabasa could pass onto Matsu are of great benefit. She is growing old, and when she passes she will take the expertise and knowledge of Uchiha medicine with her." Manju spoke up after a few minutes of silence, his knee was starting to hurt from his place on the ground, "I will continue to work with Matsu on his combat abilities, but I will mostly be focusing on teaching him support and diversionary tactics like gen jutsu, setting traps, and I've started honing his aim in shuriken jutsu."

"I see." Tajima ran his fingers through his hair, "Do as you will, hopefully you're right and I can get some use out of the boy. What about Iku?"

"Iku's combat abilities are coming along well. He's a close range fighter, his swordsmanship needs work, but I think that he might be more suited for a pole axe in the long run."

"A pole axe?" Tajima raised an eyebrow, and Manju let out a breath that sounded almost like a laugh.

"Yes, he'll have the strength to swing through a dozen men with ease when he's older but it will take some time to develop the speed and technique. If I begin teaching him now, he'll probably be ready to use it in battle by the time he's fifteen?" Manju stood up, and bowed once more. "That's all I have to report for now, my Lord. With your permission, I'd like to continue down the paths I have chosen for them."

"Very well," Tajima was clearly bored of the conversation, but Manju was relieved. As long as he could train the twins as he pleased, he did not mind if Tajima was not taking notice of his hard work. The twins' success would be its own sweet reward. "Do what you want, Manju, train those boys to be of some use to the clan."

"As you command, my Lord."

Matsu rubbed his palm into his eyes, trying to force himself to read just a bit more. Elder Tsabasa's scrolls surrounded him, opened at varying degrees. Mumbling the words outloud, Matsu felt Iku's head shift on his back. Iku was using Matsu's back as a prop, staring at one of the books Manju assigned on the clan's history. It was only a matter of minutes before he was bored, so Matsu tried to finish up as quickly as possible so they could blow out the candle and turn in for the night. They had the room to themselves for the second night in a row. Izuna was on a reconnaissance mission, Madara was staying over Setsuna's for the night, and Inaba picked up a last minute patrol.

"I'm bored," Iku whined, dropping the book on his stomach as Matsu rolled his eyes.

"You're always bored." Matsu muttered with a smile, already tidying up the area while Iku stumbled to get the futons set up.

"So entertain me, tell me everything about Elder Tsabasa. I rarely get to spend the day with you anymore!" Iku could not help the way his voice dropped in disappointment, his fingers digging into the futon. While he was happy with the progress he was making with Manju, he hated that it was costing him precious time with Matsu.

Only a few months ago the twins were inseparable, always attached at the shoulder. It drove Tajima mad, and confused the rest of the clan. They would whisper as the twins walked by. Aren't they too old to be so close? Lord Tajima should separate them soon, before they become too dependent. Iku hated that; he wished they would just mind their own business.

"There's not much else to tell. Manju says I'll be working with her five days a week, and he'll be working with me four days a week. So I'll be spending a lot of time split between them." That was something Matsu was not looking forward too, "Anyway tell me about what happened with Ume."

"Not much to tell. She pulled out of the shinobi forces, now she's working down at her family's forge." Iku laid down on his back, and Matsu laid next to him on his stomach. "We should go visit her tomorrow sometime, maybe take her to get lunch."

"We could invite Kon too, I haven't seen him in a while." Matsu's eyes closed slowly, enjoying the sound of the wind blowing against the house. Staring at the ceiling, Iku slowed his breathing, trying to meditate with his eyes open. Manju was always telling him he needed to focus, and meditation was a good way to train his focus. Or something like that, he stopped listening half way through.

"I've missed you," Iku whispered, "But I'm so happy that you've found something you're good at." Matsu lifted his head, giving Iku a sad smile. Iku was smarter than what most people gave him credit for, and he knew that Matsu's progress in combat was more than problematic. While Iku wanted to surge ahead, he couldn't help but falter every time Matsu failed to progress, it was weird that Matsu couldn't do things that Iku found to be so simple with a little practice. So, when Matsu found something he excelled at, chakra control and sensory, Iku was so proud of him. It was the first difference between them that he did not mind at all. He was just so happy that Matsu found something that would protect him. Now Iku could move forward, because Matsu would be right there progressing with him, just in a different way.

It was weird to train without Matsu. Iku remembered the day after Matsu collapsed, running out to the field alone. Everyone in the streets looked at him with open mouths, absolutely shocked that they were not seeing double. He ignored them, and ran into the usual training field, Manju waiting for him patiently.

"Sorry I'm late, Manju! Matsu's still not feeling well, so Mother is watching over him." Iku explained, panting lightly when Manju ruffled his hair.

"I know, it's not a problem. Let's get started." Iku whooped in agreement, and they rushed through the warm up and went straight to the spar. With only the naked trees as their witness, Iku glowed with happiness as he blocked Manju's assault, swinging behind him and going on the offensive. Although he knew Manju was no where near his full capacity, Iku knew that every passing day Manju had to put in a little bit more effort to provide a real challenge. That was enough to make Iku beam.

With every passing day he was getting closer to his elder brothers. Madara and Izuna's backs flashed before his eyes. One day he would catch up to them and prove Tajima wrong, he would show everyone that he was just as much Tajima's son as they were. Matsu's face replaced them, and he was smiling gently at Iku. With all the power Iku gained, he could use it to protect his little brother, the person more precious to him than anything else. Iku was not under some grand illusion that one day Matsu would magically become a phenomenal fighter and they would stand beside one another on the front lines, the enemy quaking before the twin brothers of the Uchiha. No, Iku knew better. Ever since they were children, Matsu was never a fighter. He always bowed to the wishes of the adults, even if he disagreed. He never let Iku retaliate when Masaki would taunt them, pulling Iku away with every bit of strength he had. No, Iku knew better.

Iku knew that he was stronger, and very early on decided to use his strength to protect Matsu. No one in the world understood him on such a deep level, Matsu was the only person who never compared Iku to Madara and Izuna. Iku loved him unconditionally for that.

"Not bad, Iku," At the end of the day, Manju ruffled Iku's head again fondly, giving the boy a small wave. "Go get some rest. I went easy on you today, but tomorrow we're practicing swords and chakra control." Iku whined, more out of habit than actual protest, and waved as he ran off. He was always running somewhere. He loved the feeling of his lungs burning, his eyes watering, his hair whipping behind him. It was one of the most beautiful things he could do. Stopping in the center of the compound, Matsu panted for a bit, and waved at Setsuna. The older boy was a close friend of Madara's, and Setsuna often stopped by their house to grab Madara for a spar or two.

"Iku?" Before Iku could run off to bother Setsuna, deep voice appeared behind him. He would know that voice anywhere. Turning around, Iku grinned at Tajima, who looked down at him in bewilderment. "What are you doing here? Where's Matsu?

"Matsu is at home with Mother, he hurt himself training so Manju made him take the next few days off." Iku happily explained, nearly bouncing on his toes. Watching the boy fidget around, Tajima sighed.

"I'll have to have a talk with Manju. Injuries are not reason to stop training." Tajima turned and looked at the center. It was a large opening in the middle of the compound, just a normal dirt area surrounding by a few homes and shops. A few Uchiha, all with dark hair and high collars, milled about. Some sat, in full armor, playing cards. Other carried large loads of supplies from place to place. Tajima ordered extra supplies to be purchased and stored in case the raid ended up in a long term fight. With winter over them, it was much better to have extra food than none at all.

"So," Iku dragged the word out, desperate to regain his Father's attention, even for a moment, "What are you doing out here? I thought you had a council meeting today."

"It was postponed," Tajima informed him dryly, clearly not interested in elaborating. Iku deflated, it was useless. Tajima never looked at him. He was always distracted by something or someone else. It was so frustrating. Iku balled up his fist and decided to try again, after all, its not like Tajima was busy. This might be his best chance.

"If you're not doing anything, maybe you could teach me fire style?" Oh. That's not what he wanted to say, but it was already out in the open, and Tajima looked at Iku with surprise. Obviously he had not been expecting the request either.

"Fire style?" Tajima finally looked directly into Iku's eyes, doubt flickering in his stare, "That's highly advanced ninjutsu that requires careful chakra control and dedication. You're not ready," Iku would not let him finish. He finally got his father too look at him. He could not let it end here without a fight.

"I can do it! The fire style is the signature of the Uchiha, so I won't fail. My chakra controls gotten way better, and I've been working really hard with Manju. I've improved so much. Let me show you!"

"No," Iku's face fell when Tajima turned away, paying attention to the shinobi moving supplies through the compound, "I don't have time to waste on you. If you want to learn that badly go get Manju to teach you." Ending the conversation, Tajima turned his back on Iku and started walking.

Iku's heart stopped. His father thought spending time with him was a waste? What was this… Iku's heart hurt, and his eyes burned. How could his father just turn away from him like that? Why wouldn't he look at him?

"But," Iku's voice was quieter now, smaller, "Its usually something a father teaches his son." He wouldn't cry. Iku would not cry. Tajima stopped, glancing back at him for a moment before looking away.

"I know." Tajima did not see the way Iku's eyes shattered. Hot tears ran down his cheeks and his lip trembled. Why wouldn't Father look at him? What had he done to make Tajima hate him so much? Iku's heart thundered in his chest, and his wet tears felt so warm in the winter air. Hiccups shook his small body, but Iku stopped himself before he could really start crying. There were so many people around.

Anger bubbled up in his stomach, hot and wild. Iku wanted to hate Tajima. He wanted to yell and scream at the man, if only to make himself feel better for an instant. Never one to bottle up his feelings, Iku usually relied on Matsu to provide impulse control.

Matsu wasn't here. Still, Iku resisted. Shoulders slumped forward, Iku muttered some excuse he knew Tajima did not bother to hear, and darted away. His feet slammed on the ground, his hair whipped behind him. For once, he found no joy in running.

No one paid him any attention as he weaved his way through the compound. The sun was almost below the horizon, and most Uchiha were turning in for the night or heading out for patrols. Iku did not care. His mind did not know where his feet where taking him.

"Iku?" A voice called, concerned. Iku's eyes snapped open. He did not realize he closed them. In front of him Manju was staring at him with concerned, furrowed eyes as a slim girl looked on with concern. Manju looked like he was ready to fight whatever was causing Iku pain.

Damn it. Iku said he wouldn't cry.

A small hiccup escaped his already struggling lungs, and the dam burst. Iku wailed, tears flowing freely down his chubby cheeks as he launched himself at Manju. Grunting, Manju had to take a step back at the sudden impact, but quickly wrapped his arms around the boy. He tried to look Iku over for injuries, but the boy enveloped his arms around Manju's waist and was not letting go.

"Manju, I," A pained whimper forced its way out Iku's mouth and he continued crying, burying his face in Manju's stomach. His knees felt weak and Iku was so embarrassed to be crying like a little kid in front of his teacher. Manju looked back, eyes wide and panicked at an equally surprised Hakura.

"Iku, I need you to talk to me. Is everything ok, did someone hurt you? Where's Matsu?" Worse case scenarios were running though his head. Did Matsu's injuries get infected? Was someone killed? Maimed?

"Manju?" Hakura whispered, feeling awkward at what she was seeing. This must be Manju's student, or at least one of them. Taking a step back, she shot Manju an awkward smile before she continued on her way, tactful enough to make sure Iku did not notice her. If Iku was not soaking his shirt, Manju might have thanked her.

"Oh come on Iku, talk to me." So Iku talked to him. He told Manju everything. With hiccups breaking his words and his head throbbing, Iku told Manju how he saw Tajima in the clan center. How he talked to him, how Iku boldly asked Tajima to spend time with him as father and son. How Tajima rejected him. As he retold the events, he found that he had more tears than he ever thought possible. Manju sighed, holding Iku tight for a moment before gently pushing the boy away and kneeling down, so they were at eye level.

"This pain you feel, there's nothing I can do to take it away. Those words will always remain with you, but hopefully over time they will hurt less." Manju's voice was gentle as Iku rubbed the tears from his face, eyes red with irritation. Manju sighed, "I know it's not what you want, but I would be honored if you let me teach you fire style. We may not be closely related, but you're someone who is very precious to me. My adorable little firecracker. No matter what your Father says, I believe in you."

It was at that moment that Iku realized, cold and exhausted from weeping, that he adored is teacher. Manju was always kind to the twins, and always encouraged them. Sure he could be a bit rough at time, but he really did want them to succeed. Outside of his brothers, Manju was the first person that truly believed that Iku could be great, and it caused Iku's heart to steady. All this time he had been fighting for Tajima's approval, but he did not need to. Manju approved of him, and somehow, that was almost enough.


	8. Chapter 8

It was nearly noon when Matsu and Iku finally crawled out of the house. Manju was away on an important mission for the clan, and the boys planned to have some fun and grab a few sparing partners in his absence. Shoulder to shoulder, the twins moved through the compound, waving to a few people here and there. An older woman told them to slow down, but they only laughed and kept going, their mouths creating little puffs of white air.

Stopping in front of a door, Iku reached up and knocked three times. After a few moments the door opened, and a pair of small boxy eyes stared back at them curiously. The boy stepped out of his house, fully dressed with a weapons' pouch tied around his waist.

"Its been a while guys." He said, giving them a tired smile.

"It's been almost three months," Matsu corrected, crossing his arms over his stomach good naturedly as Iku basically tackled the other boy. He rubbed his chin against the boy's cheek, ignoring the boy's struggle.

"We've got so much to tell you, Kon!" Iku laughed as Kon started to complain, demanding that Matsu get a hold of his overly touchy brother. Spiky black hair and oddly square eyes, Kon was one of the only young Uchiha boys around the twins age.

"Yeah I heard from Kotori that you guys were taking your training more seriously now. Man, it's so annoying. It was bad enough when Inaba went and started acting all serious, but you guys too?" Kon sighed, scratching his head, "I guess I should start taking my stuff seriously too or you'll leave me in the dust." The three boys walked lazily through the compound, kicking up dirt and stones. It was a familiar sight to those who were milling about. The three boys and Inaba used to laze around the compound, causing trouble and avoiding their training on a daily basis.

"You don't have too, you could become a civilian if you want to." Matsu watched the ground, trying to kick the rock in a perfectly straight line.

"Yeah, but my aunt would cry and then kick me out. It would just be way too much work." Kon huffed, knocking shoulders with Matsu. It was always weird when someone other than Iku touched shoulders with him. Of couse, Kon knew this and used it as a way to bother the twins. It was hard to annoy Matsu, but if he could pull it off, it would instantly frustrate Iku as well.

As a member of the side branch, Kon's future was open to change. Born to one of the lowest members in the Uchiha hierarchy and a merchant girl, Kon was raised by his father's sister after Kon's father was killed in battle soon after he was born. His mother wept for days, kneeling by the graveside for days on end. Kon's aunt would care for him and bring the mother food on occasion, but one day when she went out, the woman was not there. A small search party was sent out, but since she was not an Uchiha by birth and Kon's father did not know any secrets that she could potentially sell to their enemies, the search was called off after two days.

The three boys continued to make their way to the Uchiha market, a section of the compound lined with Uchiha merchants and a few non Uchiha who gained special access. There were mostly women and children crowding the space, but a few men were scattered around. Walking through, the boys looked right and left, up and down, searching.

"There!" Iku zipped to the left, Kon and Matsu following closely behind him. The building was small, and the Uchiha flag hung proudly from the door. The fabric was a bit worn from the elements, and the colors were faded as it ruffled lightly in the breeze. Sliding the door open, the boys carefully walked inside, oohing and awing at the contents on the walls. Shiny, decorative weapons shone in the sunlight streaming in from the windows. Instantly Matsu and Iku were captivated by a small dagger. The steel blade was thin and shining. However, the most impressive part was the hilt. It was carved out of a black wood and curved in the middle to allow for an easier grip. Curves that mimicked flames were carved shallowly into the hilt, and at the very end, was a circular decoration with the sharigan carved then painted on. It was simple, and far less flashy than some of the gold laced swords on the shelves, but the twins loved it anyway.

"Its my favorite piece." The boys turned their heads, and a young girl about their age was smiling fondly at the dagger. Her spikey black hair was tied back in a pony tail, but it still nearly reached her hips.

"Oh, hey Ume!" Iku put his fist out, and the girl giggled before bumping her fist to his. "We wanted to see if you wanted to get lunch with us?"

"I thought we were gonna go spar?" Kon grunted when Matsu thrust an elbow in his side, Ume's face darkened. There was an awkward silence for a moment, before Iku let out a loud laugh.

"Ignore him, Ume. Kon's an idiot." Iku grinned when Kon stuttered out an apology, Ume's lips turned up into a small smile of appreciation. A black smudge on her chin spread a little when she brought her hand up to hide her giggle.

"Thanks guys, but I can't leave now," She put her hands behind her back and glanced over her shoulder towards the back, "Mom's been in a real bad mood ever since Lord Tajima ordered over three hundred new shuriken. We've only got a few days to get the order finished, and we're not sure we'll have enough material."

"Three hundred shuriken?" Kon arched an eyebrow, "That sounds like a ton of work."

"Why would Father order so much in such a short amount of time?" Matsu frowned when Iku's face darkened; their father had quickly become a taboo subject. Matsu always wanted Tajima's approval, but he never needed it on the level Iku did. The exchange between Iku and Tajima hurt Iku far worse than either of them could have anticipated, and they were both still suffering from it. Neither of the twins had a chance to tell their elder brothers what happened. They weren't sure if they wanted to.

"Oh? You don't know?" Ume pouted slightly, "That's too bad, I really wanted to know what the big rush was for. Lord Tajima never orders anything this late." The girl flinched when a loud crash came from the back room, a short and muscular woman staggered out. She groaned, shaking her short, spiky hair as she tried to focus on the group of children.

"Oh?" She arched an eyebrow high, disbelief in her voice as she looked at the twins, "You two better not be here to collect Lord Tajima's order! We still have two days!" Squeezing her eyes shut, the woman leaned heavily against the counter, before breathing and opening her puffy red eyes.

"Father didn't send us, we wanted to see if Ume wanted to come eat with us." Matsu clarified calmly, watching as the woman let out a relieved breath as she rubbed her face. Iku shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Good, good. Sorry boys, I'm just a bit tired."

"Mama, I can finish up." Ume rushed to her mother's side, trying to help her, "You've been working for three days straight, you need to sleep."

"What I need is a daughter who is going to take her work seriously." The woman roughly moved out of Ume's reach, scowling at the crestfallen look on the girl's face. "Did you finish tempering that metal I gave you? Don't you dare complain, let's get back to work. If you want to play with the shinobi, you should have remained a shinobi!" With that the woman huffed, before disappearing into her workroom in the back. Rubbing her neck, Ume let out a tired sigh, before giving the boys a small smile.

Eh, sorry about that. Like I said, she's stressed." Ume skipped back over to the boys and poked a finger at Iku's shoulder. "What's with the long face? I promise she's not mad at you; she just gets grumpy and takes it out on other people."

"Doesn't it bother you when she talks to you like that?" Iku whispered, staring at the floor with half opened eyes. Matsu moved a bit closer so their shoulders were touching, and Iku took a deep breath, giving Matsu a small nod.

"Not really, she doesn't mean it. Well, she means it, but this was my choice and she's just getting used to it. She really wanted me to remain a shinobi but its not for me." Ume put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out in the direction her mother disappeared too, Kon laughed at her boldness.

"Well, we're happy for you," Matsu started pulling Kon and Iku out the door, aware of the distraction they were causing, "You look so much happier now."

"I am," Ume's eyes danced. She yelled the words like she was announcing them to the world, "Make sure to come and see me again! Let's get lunch later!"

Madara bowed to his father and the elders before taking his place at Tajima's right hand side. A small hush fell over the room.

"You're late again, Madara." Tajima turned a judgmental eye towards Madara as he settled down beside Izuna. The hem of the boy's pants were a tad bit wet, and his hair was covered in a small layer of dust. He smelled. Must have been training by the river. Madara was spending more and more time out there, claiming to be training. It wasn't far fetched, the boy was improving in leaps in bounds, rapidly growing stronger every time he returned.

Still.

Tajima watched the way the boy's chest was still rising and falling rather rapidly, and grunted. What exactly was so special about that river that Madara would disappear for hours on end? He usually snuck away, at first Tajima believed it was so his brothers would not follow and pester him, but he would not even allow Setsuna to go, which was unusual.

"I apologize, Father. I lost track of time during my training." Madara did not sound sorry, Tajima's eyes narrowed. Madara always had a small rebellious streak in him, challenging the clan's history and ongoing struggle with the Senju, but he always stayed in his place. It was his love for his brothers that kept him from doing anything problematic. Tajima turned away, it was an unspoken rule. As long as Madara played his part and fell in line, his brothers could keep their childhoods a little longer. Not that it mattered.

"A true example of what an Uchiha heir should be like," Gacho nodded his head once, arms crossed over his chest, "You're setting a fine example for the rest of the men. Keep training hard, you're strength will come in handy next time we face off against the Senju dogs." Gacho ignored the curious look Madara and Izuna gave him. They might not have always seen eye to eye, but even Gacho could give credit where it was due.

"Let us return to the event at hand," Kyoko smoothly drew the attention back to the agenda, shooting Madara a blank look to remind him of his position, "I have returned from the meeting with the Hagoromo. They have agreed to ally with us in our siege of the Tsuro village."

"As expected of Lady Kyoko," Mai smirked, resting her head in her palm.

"In what capacity do they offer assistance? And what do they want out of it?" Michiko used a kunai to pick at her nails, visibly frustrated, "I'd rather not have them mixed in with Uchiha units during fights, they'll only get in the way."

"They only promised to help us hold the village," Kyoko admitted calmly, waiting for the room to burst out in a rage, "We'll have to capture it ourselves." The yelling began. Tajima tried to regain control of the room, meanwhile, Izuna leaned over to mutter in Madara's ear.

"Mother got the best deal, they still haven't recovered from their last alliance with us. Holding the village is probably more than what they can actually do at this point." Izuna analyzed, and Madara nodded, listening to Michiko complain about the Uchiha doing all the real work, even though she just said she didn't want the Hagoromo anywhere near the Uchiha during the fighting.

"Yeah, plus its amazing that they keep deciding to team up with us at all, they must really want something from us." Madara drummed his fingers on his knee. The Uchiha alliance with the Hagoromo was relatively recent. When he was six years old, a messenger waving the Hagoromo flag arrived at their gate, carrying a request for assistance. It was odd. The Uchiha and the Hagoromo never fought, but they weren't friendly either. Of the four great noble clans in the Land of Fire, consisting of the Uchiha, Senju, Akamichi, and Hyuuga; the Uchiha were the second hardest to gain an alliance with. Only the Hyuuga were more picky. The Senju collected allies like shiny rocks, but often had trouble keeping them. Once their allies realized the intensity of the fights between the Uchiha and the Senju, they tended to return to neutral ground.

The Hagoromo-Uchiha alliance was still new, but it had proved beneficial over the years, so Tajima allowed it to continue. He expected them to run by now, but they were stubbornly sticking to the Uchiha, even though they lost a fourth of their shinobi in the last battle.

"Enough," Tajima growled, his sharingan spinning as the room went silent. Sighing, he rubbed his baggy eyes and looked towards the only civilian in the room, Koramu. "Any word from the civilian leadership in Tsuro?"

"Yes my Lord," Koramu fidgeted in his seat, barely able to keep eye contract with the powerful force of Tajima's sharingan, "They are open to the idea, and more than willing to pledge their loyalty to us if we can guarantee their safety and keep business going."

"The Shiruma have scared away many of the usual civilian buyers who make up the bulk of the consumer market in the area, if balance isn't returned soon, the village may collapse," Mai sat up straight, resisting the urge to turn on her sharingan to meet Tajima's, "As long as the Uchiha promise to allow trade between civilians, they don't mind if we limit shinobi access."

"That's perfect, all the Hagoromo wanted was continued access to the village resources." Kyoko nodded her head.

"It could also be a good incentive for our other allies as well. Perhaps we should allow the factions under us access as well." Izuna offered, and there was a small mummer in the room before everyone nodded in agreement. In the Era of the Warring States, it was best to keep allies happy. Even a noble clan like the Uchiha relied on the skills of its allies to help it fight the Senju faction. Much like an army, the Uchiha were the generals, with their allies acting as common soldiers. Clans like the Hosigaki, Aburame, and Hatake could be considered colonels, while the Hagoromo could only be seen as captains at best, although it looked like they wanted a promotion.

"Then its settled, the Uchiha will seize Tsuro, and the Hagoromo will be mainly tasked with holding it, although we will leave some Uchiha units in the area in case of a Senju invasion." Nods of agreement, "then we will allow our allies access to the village to prevent any possible economic backlash from cutting off the Senju. If that is all, then I will deploy five units for the siege."

"Only five? That's only about half of our available forces, and the Shiramu are not going to be any easy clan to beat. We should send at least seven!" Michiko slammed her fist on her knee, grinding her teeth. As one of the top Generals, second only to Gacho, Michiko was a firm believer in crushing to enemy without mercy. While Tajima only wanted to push the Shiruma out, Michiko wanted to annihilate their forces.

"Five is more than enough. We don't want to risk causing extensive damage to the town, or the battle was for nothing." Madara snapped, glaring at Michiko when she hissed her displeasure.

"You brat,"

"Stop it, Michiko." Gacho muttered, rubbing his eyes. These young folk were so quick to swipe at each other's throats, "Lord Tajima, I agree with five units. If Michiko, you, Madara, Izuna, and myself are fighting, it will be more than enough."

"No, Izuna will stay here." Tajima muttered, ignoring the confused exchange between Madara and Izuna. Izuna had not been excluded from a fight of this level for years. "I want Madara to command one of the units for this, it will be good experience." And should he fail and die, its best that the next possible heir is safe at home. However, Tajima did not say this. It was not necessary, they all knew it. In the past, Tajima was less concerned about the possibility of losing both of his best heirs in one swoop, but as his three youngest son's failed to progress at the rate he wanted, he was slowly starting to realize how precious Izuna was. Commanding a unit was far more dangerous than simply taking orders. It made you a high priority target with no place to hide. If Madara could prove himself capable of leading a unit successfully in a few battles, then Tajima would allow Izuna to rejoin him. "Gacho, you will remain here as well. If the Senju somehow catch wind of what's going on, I want you here to command the remaining units."

"I'll keep an ear out for any news of Senju activity." Mai raised her hand slightly, looking at her nails. Gacho frowned, clearly displeased at being left behind, but accepted his position with an honorable grunt.

"Is that all?" As the only civilian, Koramu was quickly growing tired of discussing war and violence. All of this was bad for business.

"No, I want to use this raid as a time to experiment, I'm going to reorganize some of the units. Michiko, you will lead unit one. Madara will lead unit two. I will lead units three and four, and Hokori will lead the fifth unit."

"Hokori? The third son of Janai and Juyo?" Yagami mumbled over his tea cup, taking a small sip, "Interesting choice, he's rather young though. Only twenty four."

"He's shown remarkable skill and potential. I want to give him a chance to prove himself capable of this sort of responsibility." Tajima justified, not bothering to mention that Madara was leading a unit at only the age of twelve, and without a sharingan at that. "I'll post the units tomorrow night, spread the word so that every shinobi knows to check the update."

"Easy, kitten, you need to relax." Tsabasa's Margay summon, Okoku, was sitting on the work desk, swishing his tail over the end as Matsu's hands flickered from green to blue. Breathing heavily, Matsu closed his eyes and tried to steady himself as the fish on the table stared up at him with one disappointed, unmoving eye.

"How can I relax and be focused at the same time?" Matsu licked his lips and rubbed his wrist, trying to loosen it up. He arrived at Tsabasa's house before the sun rose over the horizon, nose running from the cold and hands shaking. After drilling him on his studies, and wacking him over the head for the two answers he got wrong, she deemed that he was ready to start basic techniques on aquatic creatures. Matsu cringed when Tsabasa slapped a fish down on the workbench close to the fire, the smell instantly filling the room.

"It will come with practice and time," Okoku used his paw to brush at his face, cleaning himself as Matsu let his hands hover over the fish. "You're putting too much pressure on yourself to get it right the first time."

"It's not the first time, I've been trying to get this right all morning!" The longest he was able to hold the healing chakra was only a dozen seconds. Hours had past, and Matsu could feel himself growing nervous. What if he wasn't cut out for medical jutsu. He had already failed as a fighter, Tajima wouldn't even speak to him now. If he couldn't do this, what use was he to his clan? What use was he to his brothers? Matsu grit his teeth, thinking about the Shimaru that attacked him after he left Tsuro. The way Madara moved to defend him, how he was unable to help Madara at all. He took a deep breath.

"Don't be so hasty. Healing isn't like fighting. You can destroy something in an instant with a sword, but it may take years for it to heal. Medical ninjutsu requires contridictions. You need to relax, but stay focused. You need to be patient, but you also must work quickly. It is not easy, but it can be done." Okoku arched his back and stretched, completely unbothered by Matsu's struggle. "Now, try again."

"Right." Matsu mumbled, letting his chakra concentrate around his hands. Closing his eyes, he tried to summon back that feeling he remembered, the tingling brush of healing chakra rushing from his body. There. He felt it. Opening his eyes, Matsu did not celebrate the green aura around his hands as he moved a bit closer to the fish. There was a small gash on its side, nothing fatal, but enough to prevent it from being able to outrun a predator.

Swallowing, Matsu tried to use his chakra to see. Tsabasa said it was very similar to sensing another person's chakra, just on a much more complex scale. Ok. He could feel it. The tear in the skin was bleeding. He needed to stop that. Ok. Ok. He did not want the platelets to come. He did not need to protect the area for long to prevent infection, only a few minutes. Matsu furrowed his eyes, make the cells multiply.

Okoku watched as the flesh and scales of the fish started to slowly knit together, a small bead of sweat rolling down Matsu's face. It was an intense process, mentally grueling and physically draining, but the boy was handling it well. He just needed to learn to relax. He was smart enough to do it, he just needed time. Craning his head back, Okoku observed Tsabasa meditating on the porch, the door wide open. Slouched forward, she stared out into the garden, always looking towards the sky.

"Damn it!" Matsu slammed his fist on the table, eyes watering. Slowly turning back to the boy, Okoku looked at the fish. It's wound was healed, a deep scar popped out against silver scales, but it was healed. Yet, the fish did not move. "What did I do wrong."

"Kitten,"

"No! I don't understand what I'm doing wrong! I've read all the books, my technique is better, but I can't heal the stupid fish!" A tear slipped down his face, and his fist shook with frustration and sadness. Why couldn't he heal the fish? Why couldn't he do anything right?

"You're heart is in the wrong place." Tsabasa's voice made his eyes snap open as he turned to look in her direction. She was still looking at the sky, she had not looked at him since she slapped the fish in front of him and summoned Okoku to teach him the basics.

"What?" Matsu crossed the room, Okoku jumping on his shoulder and laying over his neck like a scarf. Shivering as he crossed the threshold, Matsu joined Tsabasa outside. His head felt heavy, and his brain throbbed. He was careless, he must have used more chakra than he thought. Tsabasa finally looked down at Matsu and gave him a dry stare.

"What were you thinking about when you were healing the fish?"

"Well," Matsu paused, head short-circuiting from the pain. Okoku began to purr, and that helped a little, " I was thinking about the things we went over this morning, and trying to focus on the individual cells and," Tsabasa slammed his fist over his head. Jerking forward, Matsu grabbed his head with both hands, groaning as Okoku slipped off his shoulders and daintily sat down in his lap. The long tail brushed Matsu's cheeks.

"So you were thinking about everything but your patient? What is wrong with you? Did you think you were just stitching together a bunch of cells? Did you forget there was a living being?" Tsbasa crowed, her frown deepened the lines in her face. Matsu's cheeks turned red and he had the decency to look embarrassed.

"I didn't forget, I was just focusing on the technique." Matsu was not trying to defend himself, he sounded rather lost. Tsabasa sighed, he reminded her of herself as a child. Always trying to be perfect while forgetting the true purpose of medical ninjutsu.

"Technique is important, but people even more so. Do you understand why the medic is always the first one you must kill in a battle?" Tsabasa looked at the sky, not waiting for an answer, "Because without health an army will crumble, no matter how strong. The medic is the heart of the army, without them, men become afraid, because there is little chance for healing if they are to become injured. When the medic is alive, there is hope that no matter how badly one is injured, there is someone who will fight to keep them alive. So men will fight. Boldly. It is a powerful thing. Even the strongest of men can be killed by a paper cut if it becomes infected."

"I never thought about it like that. I knew that you aim for the medic so that the others will not be able to recover, but I never considered medics to be a source of safety or hope. The Uchiha have survived for almost two generation without medics though, and Father doesn't seem to think its such a great thing." Matsu stared at Tsabasa, even if she did not look at him. She smiled sadly and looked at her lap.

"Yes well, don't repeat this, but Tajima is more brawn than he is brain. All of your smarts comes from that mother of yours, you should take her some flowers and thank her." Tsabasa chuckled dryly, "You should stop seeking your father's approval, you will never get it since you cannot fight."

"I know," They were harsh words, but Matsu had long accepted them, "It doesn't really bother me too much, but it really hurts my twin. Its even worse because Iku can fight, he's actually really good."

"Your twin?" Tsabasa looked him in the eye, finally. Her big dark eyes watched him like a leopard watched a baby owl, waiting for it to fall out of the tree and into the leopard's jaws. "You mention him often."

"Of course, he's my twin and my best friend. He's the most important person to me in the world." Matsu was not ashamed or embarrassed by his words. It was a clear fact that took center stage in his life.

"I see, and how did it make you feel when you realized he could fight, but you could not? Were you jelous?"

"Not at all. In fact, I was happy. He's always been more physical, and I've been more into mental stuff. He loves to fight, and now that he's good at it, he's been even happier. Iku really looks up to Madara and Izuna, and he wants to catch up to them. Now, he might be able to. He really wants Father's approval too, but I think he's slowly accepting that he won't be able to get it until he can fight on the same stage as Madara and Izuna." Matsu paused, "I'm happy I'm learning to heal. Iku can be kind of reckless and just rush into things. I want to be able to heal him when he gets hurt, since I can't help him fight. I want to be able to heal all my brothers, and my clan. That way even if I can't fight, I can still protect them."

"Is that so?" Tsabasa let out a small laugh. It was so nice to hear those words from a young Uchiha again. It had been so long. "We're done for the day." Tsabasa reached out her arms and Okoku jumped out of Matsu's lap to stand in front of her, his big ears twitching.

"You did well today, kitten. I sense that your twin is still on the training grounds with some others." Okoku purred.

"Yeah," Matsu pressed a few fingers to his temple, his sensory abilities were limited now, but Manju always told him the best time to push himself was when he had next to nothing left. "He's with Inaba and Kon. I think they're sparring."

With that Matsu waved goodbye, but before he could take the final step off the porch, Okoku leapt gracefully onto his shoulders, happily reclaiming his position as Matsu's scarf. Waving him off, Tsabasa explained that she simply did not want to listen to Manju whine if he collapsed somewhere in the middle of the compound. Okoku would just make sure he got home and back alright. With a small smile, Matsu shook his head and said nothing, patting Okoku on the head and heading off in the direction of their usual training ground.

"She like you, and she hates everyone." Okoku nuzzled his head against Matsu's ear, purring lightly. Matsu smiled.

"Everyone but you and me. Look at that, we doubled the amount of people she likes by one hundred percent!"

"I am not a person, and neither are you, you are a kitten." Okoku wacked his tail in Matsu's face as Matsu laughed, ignoring the curious looks his clansmen gave him. As he grew closer to the training ground, he could hear the sound of metal clashing.

Inaba pushed his sword down on Iku, gritting his teeth as he struggled to overpower his younger brother. Giving up, he gave Iku some space, before starting a stream of attacks that Iku met blow for blow. His breathing picked up. Their swords clashed and a few small sparks flew. Stepping to the side, Inaba dodged Iku's attack before striking back.

His lungs were burning, and his mucles were growing tired, but Inaba would not give up. Iku was progressing fast, much faster than Inaba ever anticipated. Only a few monthes ago, Inaba would have wiped the floor with Iku in a sword fight, heck he could even tie with some of the adults in the ring. But now….

Iku yelled as he blocked a particularly hard strike from Inaba, baring his teeth as he kicked out his leg, almost causing Inaba to stumble. There. A small opening as Inaba's legs were spread just a tad bit too wide. Lunging forward, Iku thrust his sword in Inaba's face, forcing the boy to swing up his sword to knock it off course. His eyes widened, Inaba wobbled, feet scrambling to regain balance. Iku did not let him. With a few quick slices, Inaba gasped as his back slammed against the dead grass. The blades poked into the back of his neck, and Inaba squeezed his eyes shut as they swam.

"Iku wins," Kon droned, clearly uninterested in the battle, "Finally."

"Amazing." Matsu's face split into the biggest grin, and his heart exploded with pride. Inaba was one of the best swordsmen of their generation, just behind Madara, Ume, and Izuna. If Iku could beat him, then he had imporved way more than either of them thought.

"Damn it." Inaba groaned, trying to squash the anger rising in his throat. He lost. To his little brother. Granted they were only a year apart, but Inaba had been training with Tajima for years while the twins got passed off to someone else. What would Tajima say if he realized Iku was surpassing him? It was clear Tajima was quickly losing his patience again, the patience that Inaba managed to earn back when he started taking his training more seriously.

Jealously rose in his ears, turning them red when Inaba finally opened his eyes and stared up at Iku, who smiled as he offered him a hand. With a sigh, Inaba took it. He knew he should be happy, this meant that Iku was getting better at protecting himself but still it hurt. What kind of big brother was he if his little brother could surpass him so easily after a few months of hard training?

"Good job, Iku." He smiled, but Inaba felt hallow. With a proud grin, Iku ran off to greet Matsu. The two hugged, the cat on Matsu's shoulder did not even budge when the two boys crashed together, Iku speaking a mile a minute.

As the boys walked home, the sun setting quickly in the winter sky, Inaba tried to remind himself that he only started taking his training seriously a few monthes ago too. Roughly around the same time as the twins. In that time he and Iku improved immensely, and Matsu was learning medical ninjutsu. It was unrealistic to expect to beat Iku every time, especially when the boy had such raw strength and hungered for a good fight. Inaba sighed, he just neeed to keep training. He needed to find that thing that drove him.

Iku was driven by three things. His desire to stand beside Madara and Izuna, his desperation for Tajima's favor, and his deep love for Matsu. That's what drove Iku's every swing, his family fueled his every breath. It was enough for him.

Inaba fought for his family as well, but he was still trying to find that thing, that love that would push him so far that he would do anything to protect it. Even work his body into the ground.

"Don't look so glum, it was a good fight," Kon yawned, patting Inaba on the back. The twins walked ahead of them, trading stories of their day. As they grew closer to the center, the clansmen gathered, pushing each other and muttering loudly.

"What's going on?" It was late, yet the crowd continued to grow bigger. Men and women pushed forward to see the bulletin.

"Lord Tajima just posted the new units for the raid next week on the Tsuro village against the Shimaru." An young woman with short spikey hair filled them in, curiously looking at Okoku. There were not many summons in the clan, and Okoku was too big to be an average cat. "Young Lord Madara will be leading his first unit."

"Do you really think he's ready for that?"

"Of course he is! He's the pride of our clan! He'll lead us to victory, I wish I was assigned to his unit to see him first hand!"

"And he doesn't even have his sharingan yet, but he can beat the adults of the Senju."

"No way, that's amazing!"

The discussion of Madara's abilities continued, and the twin's looked at each other, before smiling. Their eldest brother was so cool.

"New units, huh?" Kon scratched the back of his head, "Man, I hope I'm not under General Michiko or Lord Tajima. That would be so much work." The four boys pushed their way to the front. Inaba could feel his heart thundering. Please put him under Tajima's unit. Madara would be a great leader, and with Izuna by his side he would be fine. This was Inaba's chance to show Tajima what he could do, to show that all that training had not fallen on the ground.

His eyes scanned the list. General Michiko was leading the first unit, twenty Uchiha, most of them heavy hitters who used advanced fire ninjutsu. Kotori would be fighting in that unit, she would be happy. She looked up to General Michiko. Madara led the second unit, it was a mix speed and skilled taijutsu users. Izuna wasn't under him, which was weird, but Kon was. He could feel the boy sigh in relief beside him. Inaba's ears thundered as he got to the next unit. Tajima would be leading three and four. More general fighters, well rounded. Manju was to be on his personal guard again this time around. Inaba wanted to feel surprised when he saw his name wasn't under his Tajima, but he felt nothing but bitter acceptance. He didn't get his hopes up.

Scanning the final unit, he saw his name assigned under Captain Hokori. Great. He hated that man. Looking at the other names, he realized he knew most of the people. They were mostly swordsmen and lower level fighters.

What?

Inaba's mouth went dry, and the sound drowned out around him.

"What?" Matsu whispered.

Matsu Uchiha and Iku Uchiha. Fifth Unit.

They were going to war.

 **A/N: Please review if you enjoyed the story!**


	9. Chapter 9

Manju slumped down on the bar stool, rocking the chair back so it balanced on the back two legs as he tilted his chin up to stare at the ceiling. Drunken yells and loud voices filled the tavern, men and women drank until their cheeks turned red and their voices slurred. Located on the edge of the compound, it was far enough away that the owners, a pair of young ambitious civilian siblings, could allow their patrons to be as loud and rowdy as they wanted. Manju closed his eyes and just listened to the insanity as he waited for his drink.

"Long time no see, Manju." The seat next to him was pulled out, as Hakura swiftly sat down, looking totally out of place in the rowdy atmosphere with her neatly tied kimono. Her two long pony tails sat high on her head, her straight bangs nearly touched her eyes as she waved to one of the servers.

"Never thought I'd see you in a place like this Hakura." Manju let all four poles of the chair touch the ground, ordering something strong before turning his body to face Hakura. Putting one arm on the table, Manju tugged one of her pigtails lightly with his other hand, "Does your brother know you're here? I don't want him to be mad at me if you decided to sneak out again."

"Very funny, Manju," She gently swatted his hand away, not looking at him at all, "I'm a grown woman now, I don't need to get my brother's approval."

"I know, I know, I'm just teasing." Thanking the waiter, Manju did not even bother to look at the yellowish liquid before him before gulping it down. Holding her own drink delicately in her hands, Hakura's eyes narrowed as she watched him with a small frown.

"I thought you gave up drinking?" Hakura's voice was low, but Manju only rolled his eyes. Setting the glass back on the table, Manju waved his hand and gestured for the waiter to bring him another one, "Don't ignore me, Manju. You're mother taught you better than to ignore a pretty lady."

"You are very pretty," Manju admitted lazily, "I'm sorry about this, but please just let me let loose for one night without nagging me."

"Honestly, you're such a pathetic man when you drink." Grabbing his arm, Hakura yanked Manju off his chair and pulled him towards the door. Stumbling a bit from shock, Manju groaned as the strong willed woman pulled him out into the freezing night air. She turned back and poked her head inside for a moment, "Sorry

Sasumori, put it on my brother's tab!" With that she grabbed his arm again and pulled Manju away.

Sighing, Manju instantly gave up on trying to resist her. There was no woman more strong willed and crafty, resistance would only lead to a humiliating defeat. After a few minutes of being dragged, Manju shook her off and decided to regain some of his dignity by walking beside her. Giving him a satisfied smile, she folded her hands in front of her, straightened her back, and walked daintily forward.

"Thanks, Hakura. I owe you one." Manju's voice could barely be heard over the wailing of the wind that threw Hakura's hair forward.

"Anytime." She stopped under a lantern, and then turned to face Manju, "That's what friends are for, right?" They stood there for a moment, silently watching each other. A laugh erupted from Manju's lips, and Hakura followed suit. Starting in their bellies, they laughed and laughed, loud and joyous. It was nice. It reminded Manju of the first time he met her when they were children.

When they managed to catch their breaths, Hakura was leaning on Manju, and he had an arm around her shoulder, shielding her from the cold.

"What would I do if you weren't here to keep me in line?" Manju did not mind the icy wind on his face, it smelled of smoke and cider trees.

"Probably something stupid," Hakura brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "Why were you even at the bar anyway, you know you could just come talk to me if you're feeling like that." She did not need to elaborate. It was something they joked about now, but it was not that long ago where the unspoken meaning behind the words would have sent her running away from him in tears.

"I don't know, I just kind of ended up there. I was actually hoping to see the gang, but no one showed up. Well, except you of course," Manju tightened his grip on her a bit, giving her a big cheesy smile. Her cheeks turned red, and she wasn't sure if it was from the cold.

"So what were you thinking about when you ordered that drink?" She was not going to let it go. He may act happy now, but eventually whatever was eating at him would come back if he did not get it off his chest.

"Oh," Manju's smile dropped, and he stood up a bit straighter. His grip on her loosened, but his arm stayed around her shoulder, "Lord Tajima posted the new units for the raid on Tsuro village against the Shimaru."

"So? Were you unhappy about being on his personal guard again?" The clan head's personal guard consisted only of the finest Uchiha. It was an honor to be hand selected by the council to defend their leader, and would bring honor to their family for generations. Growing up, Hakura would laugh as Manju would challenge the members of the guard foolishly, never giving up on his goal. Even when the guards would laugh, knocking Manju down with one hit, he would stand up, smirk, and go train. They did that weekly, and Hakura would stand to the side and watch him get beaten into the ground.

But one day, he won.

Then again.

And again.

Until he didn't lose. He would tie with some of the higher ranking shinobi, but no one else could even touch him. In fact, Hakura was sure that the only people who could beat him now were the shinobi on the council, and maybe two or three others. It was inspiring to watch him reach his dream, but she'll never forget the words he told her that made her stomach flutter.

 _I want to be just like you, Hakura. I want to accomplish my dream, and defend the Uchiha and our honor from the Senju. You inspire me_.

"Its not that," Hakara was yanked from her reminiscing, as Manju ran his fingers through his hair, "I'm really happy to be back on the guard. I've missed everyone, and I've missed fighting along side you and Lord Tajima."

"But?"

"But then I saw that Matsu and Iku are going to fight as well." Matsu's head dropped, and his fisted his hand in his hair, pulling at his scalp. "They'll be in a totally different unit, its their first real experience in a full out war, and I won't be able to watch over them."

"I see," Hakura mumbled as she looked forward. Those two boys captured Manju's heart with their wicked eyes and their innocent dreams. Sometimes they were all he would talk about, flipping through pages as he tried to think up training exercises and ninjustu to teach them. Hakura would sit across from him in the library, patiently filling out reports or folding origami. Sometimes the boys would join them, sitting on the floor with books sprawled out around Matsu while Iku would snore.

"I'm afraid." Manju admitted, "If something happens to them,"

"It would be like your brother and father all over again?" Hakura filled in the blank, and let the silence settle over them for a moment. Stopping, she shuffled out from under his arm, and took both of his hands in hers. "Don't worry, Manju. No matter what happens, I won't let you fall back into that place." Manju's eyes widened, before a gentle smile pulled up his lips.

"Thank you, Hakura."

"Ha, we tie again, Hashirama," Madara's grin was so wide it hurt as he laid sprawled out on the rocky bank of the river. Laughing when Hashirama only groaned in response, Madara stared up at the sky. The sun was quickly setting, and the temperature kept dropping. He would need to get home soon, or Izuna and the others might come looking for him.

"Hey, Madara? Is it really a tie if you look worse than I do?" Hashirama complained as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're one to talk about looking bad!" Madara roared, pointing his finger, "Look at your clothes! You have no sense of fashion!" Hashirama laughed at the outburst before jumping to his feet.

"Whatever, I've got to get home before someone comes looking for me."

"Me too," Madara brushed himself off, but did not stand. The river was flowing slowly, and there was only the sound of the wind moving through the naked trees. "If I stay here for too much longer, my brothers might come looking for me."

"Brothers?" Hashirama locked his fingers behind his head, cocking his head curiously as he walked towards Madara. This was the first time Madara mentioned his family. Hashirama frowned. Shinobi law prevented them from revealing anything about their home life, even if they knew everything else about each other, they could not give away anything that would associate them with their respective clans. It was so frustrating. Hashirama nearly told Madara everything, and he would tell him more if he could.

"Yeah, I've got four little brothers." Smiling fondly at the ground, Madara ran his fingers through his tangled hair, "They can be a real pain sometimes, especially the youngest ones, but I love them so much."

"That's how I feel about my siblings." Hashirama could hear the fondness echo in his own words as he thought of his own brothers. Tobirama. Kawarama. Itama. They were the most precious things in the world to him, the reason why he continued to argue for peace. Even if it meant weekly beatings from Butsuma. "I have three younger brothers. You only have one more than me."

"Eh, not really." Madara pushed himself up, standing up and dusting off his clothes, "The youngest are twins, and sometimes they act like one person. So I guess we're even." The sun was almost completely set, it would be dark by the time he got home.

"Twins? Really, that's so cool! Do they look the same?" Hashirama got really close to Madara's face, eyes beaming with wonder. Madara let out a small huff to hide a laugh. Most people reacted that way to Iku and Matsu, identical twins were really rare. They were the only ones in the Uchiha, and possibly the first pair in a few generations to make it past seven without either dying. Upon seeing them for the first time from afar, Elder Yagami told Madara they were the first identical twins born in the Uchiha since Elder Yagami was a child, if his memory was still functioning.

"Yeah, but if you spend enough time with them, it won't be too hard to tell them apart." Iku was slightly thicker than Matsu, and his eyes always held a enthusiastic spark while Matsu's gaze was far more tame. Madara raised a hand and waved, "I've got to get going, see you later, Hashirama!" His feet pressed into the rocks and he ran. Madara weave his way through the forest, feeling a bit nervous when he noticed the lanterns on the front gate of the compound were already lit. Damn. He'd have to sneak into the back or else the guards would tell Tajima that he was out past curfew. All Uchiha were to be in the compound before the lanterns came on unless it was for approved business. This lowered the chance of the patrols confusing an Uchiha for an enemy, and made it harder for enemy shinobi to use the cover of night to pick off unsuspecting wanders.

Turning right, Madara stayed under the cover of the forest until he came to the side of the compound. A small smirk came over his face when he noticed the guards chatting, probably about to change with the night shift. Perfect. While they were occupied, Madara silently dashed up the side of the wall, landing on one knee inside the compound. Pressing his back to the wall, Madara waited for them to pass, just to be safe. When the laughter died down, Madara ran for it.

Well that was easy enough. The guards' lack of proper security should have bothered him, but since he could use their negligence to his advantage, he would keep quiet for now. There was no one in the street, and Madara's footfalls were the only noise in the usually active compound. Looking around, he could see that most houses had their lights on, so almost everyone was inside. That was weird, the sun just went down. Biting his lip, Madara ran a bit faster.

Focusing, Madara tried to locate where everyone was in his house before entering. He did not feel like running into his father tonight, it would only lead to troublesome questions or a lecture. Ah. There he was, Tajima was not in the house yet, he was still in the council room a few buildings over. There were two other chakras in the street, one was Manju? He was not too familiar with the man, Madara only knew that he was a skilled member of Tajima's personal guard, and the twins teacher. They adored him.

Relaxing, Madara dropped his sensory abilities and walked into the house. His back and legs were starting to ache from sparing with Hashirama. The boy dressed like an idiot but he sure could throw a punch.

Stepping lightly, he quickly walked past the twins' room, peaking in for a moment. Iku and Matsu were curled up in their beds, backs pressed together as Iku snored loudly. With a small smile, Madara closed the door completely. They must have had a long day of training, they usually would wait for him to get home and pester him. Slightly disappointed that he would not get the chance to shoo the twins off to bed, he crept to the next room where Inaba and Izuna slept. Madara got his own room as the heir and the eldest child, but he would usually bunk with Izuna and Inaba when Tajima wasn't looking.

Stopping in front of the door, Madara peaked in. The door slammed on the track as it opened, Madara stumbled back as the candle in the room was lit. Throwing his hand up, Madara shielded his eyes from the brightness, and felt a hand tangle in the collar of his shirt before he was yanked through the threshold. The door shut behind him.

"What's going on?" Madara groaned, putting his hand down, blinking at a disgruntled Izuna with his hands on his hips. Izuna's bangs were messy, and half of his hair was out of its ponytail. His clothes were wrinkled too, and there were small bags under his eyes. "What the heck happened to you?"

"Where have you been, Madara?" Izuna's quiet voice sent a small shiver up Madara's spine. Inaba stood up from his spot in the middle of the room, looking equally messy as he walked over to stand beside Izuna.

"What are you talking about? I was training with Kotori and Setsuna down by the river," Madara stared Izuna down, trying to ignore the small sense of panic in the back of his head. He loved Izuna dearly, but the boy was way too noisy for his own good. Still, Madara felt a little guilty for lying, but it couldn't be helped. His friendship with Hashirama could have serious consequences. It was best if Izuna was in the dark.

"You're lying, Madara!" Inaba hissed, fist balled by his side as he shook with frustration. Madara was always lying to them, he never trusted them with the truth and it was so irritating. The four younger brothers had this conversation at least once a year. Madara would lie about a mission, or a meeting, or about his feelings. He always tried to put on a strong front for his younger siblings, and use lies to shield them from the darkness within their clan.

"No, I'm not!" Madara instantly felt childish, but kept up the front. They couldn't prove anything. Neither Izuna or Inaba had any kind of sensory abilities; only Madara and Matsu possessed the ability. There's no way they could get close enough to see him with Hashirama without him sensing them, and he was far enough away that Matsu's range could not reach him. As long as he stuck to his story, this interrogation was no more than a hissy fit, and they would drop it.

"I talked to Setsuna this evening while I was looking for you," Madara's eyes widened, and his boy went stiff, "You thought I would never talk to him since we don't get along, didn't you, Madara?" Izuna sighed, as if he was calling out a toddler on a lie.

"I don't know what you're going on about, but I'm not listening to it. I'm going to bed." Madara turned around and slid open the door. Oh no. The twins toppled into the room, Matsu falling on Iku's back. Groaning, Iku carefully pushed Matsu off of him, before glaring up at Madara.

"You never tell us anything!" Blushing heavily, Iku tried to play off that he was just caught spying. The brat. Matsu carefully rubbed something out of his eyes, clearly Iku must have dragged him out of bed when he heard Madara come home.

"You two are supposed to be in bed!" Izuna's eye twitched slightly, before he walked over to them and pushed them out the door, trying to close it. "Go to sleep, we'll talk in the morning."

"No fair, Izuna! You always leave us out of the loop!" Iku pressed back against Izuna's hand, refusing to budge.

"You're almost as bad as Madara." Matsu mumbled, ignoring Madara indigent cry. "Scratch that, you two are the same, Madara's just louder."

"Ha, you're right, Matsu!" Iku laughed loudly, and Izuna slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Quiet, do you want to wake up the entire clan?" This was not going to work. They were getting off topic. Iku clearly wasn't going to give up easily. Its best to just let them stay for now. "Fine you can stay, just keep your mouth shut."

"That's not fair, considering we're the reason why you're angry." Matsu waltz back into the room and sat down on Izuna's bed, running his fingers through his hair. Iku skipped over to join him, happily plopping himself down on his stomach.

"Angry?" Madara looked at Izuna who was quietly closing the door, not looking at him, "Why? What did they do?"

"They didn't do anything, Madara. It's what Father did." Inaba's face dropped, and he glared sideways at the floor. There was a small silence in the room, and Madara's face twisted in confusion. He looked at Inaba, at the twins, and then at Izuna.

"Father?" Izuna still would not look at him, and Madara was quickly growing frustrated. What had Tajima done this time? It must have been bad for Izuna to be so quiet about it. Usually, Izuna had enough sway to fix whatever mess Tajima created for the twins by himself if Madara was nowhere to be found. It must have been really bad if Izuna actually came looking for him. The silence continued, even the twins were staring at the ground now. Matsu sniffled a bit, and Madara's frustration became anger, "Hey, one of you say something! What's the big idea calling me in here and then keeping your mouths shut?"

"They've been assigned to the fifth unit." Izuna bit out, his shoulders shaking.

"What?" Madara's anger vanished, and his mouth went dry. Izuna slammed his fist on the door, the sound echoing through the house.

"Father assigned them! He assigned them to Uncle Gacho's unit for the raid on Tsuro village. They're going to war, Madara!" Izuna cried out, his voice breaking as he hurled around to invade Madara's space.

"That's impossible," Madara stared into Izuna's eyes. The younger brother was trying to hold in his tears in front of the twins. Izuna always scolded Madara for trying to bottle up his feelings, but he did the same thing.

"No," Inaba pulled a roughly rolled piece of paper out of his belt, offering it to Madara, "Look for yourself."

"I don't understand," Madara mumbled, looking at the paper closely. There must have been some mistake. They were assigned to Hokori along with Inaba. The names were written smoothly, as if the writer did not have to even hesitate for a moment when creating the characters. It was Tajima's hand writing. Damn him.

"Don't make that face, big brother." Iku gave Madara a wobbly smile, forcing himself to be brave, "At least we're in the same unit as Inaba. The three of us can watch each other's backs."

"You shouldn't worry about us," Matsu added, his voice cracking, "We'll be ok, you should focus on your own unit."

"Like hell I will!" Madara snapped his mouth shut at how Matsu flinched back into Iku, like a child seeking the comfort of a doll. "I'm sorry Matsu, I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"When the list got posted I went looking for you everywhere," Izuna was not ready to let the conversation go, even as he rubbed the tears from his eyes, "I thought maybe you could talk to Father like you always do and make him change his mind, but I couldn't find you."

"I'm sorry, Izuna,"

"Where were you?" There was silence again, and Madara sighed, walking over to the twins, he put a hand on both of their heads. They stared up to him with big black eyes, slightly red from exhaustion and slightly red from crying. Madara smiled at them, forcing back his negative feelings.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to Father."

"Don't bother." Inaba walked to sit on his own bed, legs crossed in front of him, "Izuna already tried, and Father," Inaba paused, "well, he wasn't happy about Izuna questioning him."

Madara's body stiffened, reading between the lines. Tajima beat Izuna.

Tajima beat Izuna.

Tajima. Beat. Izuna.

Balling his fist by his side, Madara stormed out of the room, his chakra flailing about like a whip. He saw red, he was so angry. Although he could not tell if his anger was directed at Tajima for hitting Izuna, or if he was angry at himself for not being there. Tajima would have never struck Izuna if Madara were present. It would be chaos.

Tajima hit Madara pretty regularly, but he rarely, closer to never, hit the other boys, because it would only cause Madara to be more defiant. It was easier just to punish Madara, and leave the others alone. It was another unspoken agreement between them. Tajima could put all of his expectations and frustrations on Madara, and Madara would take it without complaint. As long as Tajima kept his hands off his little brothers, Madara could endure anything. The late night meetings, the constant demand for him to be the perfect heir, the cutthroat politics of the clan council, anything and everything. Madara would endure it all.

"Madara wait!" Izuna grabbed the back of Madara's sleeve when he finally caught up to him. They were outside, a sliver of the moon was high in the sky, and Madara hated it. He hated everything about this world, about this life.

"Let go, Izuna. I'm going to go find Father." Madara was not going to let Tajima get away with this. First he decides to send the twins of to war, and then he hit Izuna. Madara grit his teeth. That old bastard. His time was running out.

"Don't do it, big brother." Izuna still let him go, relieved when Madara did not move. "Father made up his mind, there's nothing we can do now."

"We're shinobi, we never know when we're going to die," Those were the words he had told Hashirama when they first discussed their dreams of peace, "But kids shouldn't have to think about that!" Madara's cheek felt wet. He was crying. Izuna touched his shoulder and turned him around.

"Big brother," Izuna gave him a tight hug, "You're a kid too."


	10. Chapter 10

The sky was grey as the clouds settled over the Uchiha clan, thunder rumbling in the distance. The training field was alive with multiple sparring sessions, the clanging of metal forced many of the men to speak louder as they rested on the side lines.

"I lost," the girl furrowed her brow in annoyance as the group of Uchiha around her let out encouraging laughs. Her hair was bobbed at her chin, and stay pieces flew into her mouth with the next gust of wind. Reaching a hand out, Madara gave her a big grin as he helped her up, barely breathing hard.

"You left yourself open after you made the first hit. You get too eager, Kotori. That's your weakness." Madara turned to the men sitting on the sideline. Roughly twenty of them sat panting on the spikey brown grass. Excluding Kotori, these were the Uchiha he would lead into battle against the Shimaru in just a few days time.

Tajima suggested during breakfast that Madara take the time to assess their skills and get them familiar with him. Sparring was the fastest way to do that.

"As expected of Young Lord Madara." One of the men began praising him as Kotori straightened her clothes.

"Yes, yes, lets all bow down to the great Madara." She rolled her eyes as she mumbled under her breath, Madara's lips twitched but he did not let himself smile. It was getting annoying, the way the people in his unit were sucking up to him. No doubt, if he failed, they would have no problem quickly turning that praise to distain. Readjusting her weapons pouch, Korori gave a small salute, "I've got to get going. I'm gonna see if I can get my sisters to spar with me one more before they leave."

"Are they not going to Tsuro?" Madara ignored his men for a moment, happy to drag out time with his friend.

"Nah, they'll be patrolling the outermost border to make sure the Senju don't try and take advantage of Lord Tajima's absence. They leave tomorrow, and they won't come back until after we set out." With that she left, Madara put his hands on his hips and sighed. Back to business.

Since they already sparred, Madara gave the group a basic run down of what they should expect at Tsuro. Captain Hokori deduced that the battle would more than likely take place in the field outside of the city, but should the Uchiha be forced to engage the Shimaru inside the city, they would need to be careful about harming civilians and damaging building.

"Do you have an specific engagement rules we should follow?" A big eyed man's hand shot in the air. Seeing the confusion on Madara's face, the man continued, "I usually fight under General Gacho and he has a few rules we have to follow. We were not allowed to engage any of the rival clan leaders."

"General Michiko never let us help her in battle. If we saw an opening in her opponent, we couldn't take it. We had to let her fight alone." Another woman chipped in, picking at the ground with a needle.

"Didn't General Gacho have a rule like that too?"

"Probably, I haven't served under him for some time though, I've been working under," Madara drowned them out as they continued to compare. He had not considered any restrictive orders he would give his unit beyond following orders and not retreating before the official signal. The one about not attacking leaders was probably a good one, Madara doubted anyone in this group would stand a chance against Butsuma Senju or Hikaru Hyuga. He did not mind if they took an opening, no reason to drag out a fight that could be ended quickly.

"Listen up," Madara waited for them to stop talking, "Ok so we'll have three rules. No engaging clan leaders," there was some grumbling at that, "No taking unnecessary risk to chase after the enemy, and if we must fight in the city, you will do everything in your power to avoid civilian casualties. And help each other, so I guess that's four."

After a few more house cleaning rules and instructions, Madara dismissed his group, feeling a bit less nervous than he did this morning. They seemed willing to listen to him, and no one seemed to have any problems with taking orders from a twelve year old kid so far. Still, Madara would keep his eye out. The last thing he wanted was to fail, and an attack on the inside was far more intimidating than anything the enemy could throw at him.

"Big brother!" Two voices snatched Madara's attention. A body crashed into him before he could turn all the way around, but Madara managed to stay upright until a second body crashed into him. They toppled onto the grass, the laughter and grunting drawing the attention of some of the sparing clansmen. Shaking his bangs from in front of his eyes, Madara grinned down at Iku and Matsu.

"Do you have to tackle me every time you see me?"

"Only in public," Iku winked, before scrambling off Madara, Matsu already standing a few feet away with a feline sitting contently on his shoulder. It was becoming a familiar sight. The margay was Elder Tsabasa's summon, and it often spent the day with Matsu when it did not feel like returning home.

"If you guys still have this much energy, we should keep training." Madara stood up, finally noticing Manju lazily walking up, following the twins diligently. The man was one of the most formidable fighters in Tajima's guard, it was amusing to see him babysitting.

"Ok!" Iku bounced up to Manju, who weakly laughed while rubbing his wrist.

"Kidding, Kidding. We're done training for today, you two need to rest." Manju ruffled Iku's hair, pulling some of it out of the ponytail. "Also before you guys leave, we should probably think about cutting your hair, right Madara?"

Humming lowly, Madara put a hand on his chin. At the moment, the twin's silky black hair almost reached their lower backs. For an experienced shinobi, it would not be a problem, but for a new fighter going into battle, where fighting dirty was necessary, it could pose a huge risk.

"Yeah, let's go home and I'll cut it for you."

"No way, you always cut it crooked, we can wait till Mother has time." Madara wanted to whack Matsu on the head, but refrained himself.

"Can't we just tie it higher or something? I like long hair, its warm." Iku whine, stroking his hair lovingly as Manju rolled his eyes. Madara hid his mouth behind his hand, Manju was giving in too easily.

"Let's see how long it is." The twins took out their hair ties and gathered their hair higher on their head before putting the tie back in. Now the front of their hair fell into their face, giving them spiky bangs similar to Izuna's that framed their chubby faces. Their hair still reached their mid back and Manju sighed, looking to Madara for help.

"Nope, still gonna have to cut it." Madara was willing to be the bad guy if Manju was going to play dotting parent. It would give him a little peace of mind if it was a bit shorter, they would get over it.

"Dang it, how much shorter?" Iku stomped his foot, Matsu giggled as Okoku played with the high ponytail that was now much more mobile. After negotiating a few inches off, Madara managed to convince the twins to let Manju cut their hair right then and there. Better do it now before the brats found a way to make him forget. As Manju carefully shaved a few inches off Iku's ponytail, Madara gently braided the hair in Matsu's pony tail, just for old times sake.

"I like your hair like this kitten, it suits you." Okoku purred, his tail whacking Madara in the face. Grimacing, Madara remembered why he prefered birds.

Finally finishing the twins' hair, Madara promised to stop by one of their training sessions this week before taking off to finish up his errands for the day. He needed to stop by the weapons shop one more time and pick up Tajima's order. Three hundred specially crafted kunai and shuriken for the members of the personal guard made by the clan's head crafter, Sekita and her daughter, Ume. Madara was very familiar with Sekita, often running tons of errands for her when he was a young boy in exchange for kunai lessons. The woman was a true marksman, a master of the Shuriken jutsu the clan was widely known for. She rarely missed her mark. She was a patient teacher, and offered lots of instruction.

Much to the clan's joy, she passed her talents along to her only child, Ume. The girl could hit the wings off a dragonfly without killing it, while walking on her hands. It was amazing to watch, and many envied her natural talent. Which is why it was so shocking when the girl turned in her resignation to Tajima a few months ago. Tajima never told him why, but since the girl was young and could provide work as a weapons crafter, Tajima did not really seem to care if the clan lost one talented young girl on the battlefield.

Stepping inside the store, Madara took a moment to admire the beautiful weapons hanging on display. Most of the ones up front were ornate and expensive, only the wealthiest members of the clan could afford them. His father had a few swords from here, and his mother had a pair of white and gold daggers she kept strapped under her clothes. Madara had only seen them once, but they were too beautiful to be made by anyone other than Sekita.

"Well if it isn't Young Lord Madara," Wiping her black stained hands off with a dark brown towel, Sekita stepped out of the back room. There were heavy bags under her eyes, and Madara noticed a few more grey hairs poking out of her head.

"Hello, Sekita Sensei. It's been a while," Madara smirked and linked his arms behind his head as Sekita rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm guessing you're here to get Lord Tajima's order? We just finished this morning, my poor daughter is passed out in the workroom." Sekita chuckled, glancing over her shoulder. The woman was hard on Ume, but she loved her fiercely, even if she rarely showed it when the girl was around.

"Yeah, sorry about the late notice."

"Its no problem, weapons are needed when they're needed, its hard to predict the where and when." Sekita pulled out a small scroll and handed it to Madara, "Do your best out there. Not to put more pressure on you than you already have, but we really need Tsuro village. Without it, we'd have to travel all the way to Nakami, and even the material there is too expensive."

"Understood, you can count on me."

The temperature dropped as the days passed and the days grew shorter. It was time. Early in the morning, before the sun began to peak over the horizon, Uchiha shinobi flowed out of their houses. Men kissed their wives and mothers; woman hugged their sisters and fathers before waving goodbye and heading to the main gate to get in formation. Kyoko stepped out into the foyer, mouth in a thin line as she watched the Izuna check the strings on the twins' newly made armor. Each of them wore the traditional high collared black top with a long back that mirrored a cloak. It was tied with a white string, and their chests were covered with dark grey breastplates.

"You'll be late if you do not leave soon," Kyoko reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Iku's face, letting her hand fall when he looked at her strangely. That's right, it had been some time since she touched him without reason. No matter how dedicated Kyoko was to the clan, and how she accepted her children's destiny, she was still a mother. Her heart ached at the sight of her youngest preparing for battle, even as she ordered her throat to stop tightening up.

"We'll be fine, Mother." Matsu stepped away from Izuna after his inspection was completed, tying two scrolls on his hip tightly. "We've still got some time."

"Its better to be early," Kyoko hummed. Her finger twitched when she watched the twins embrace Izuna, holding him tightly for a moment too long before they let go. They bowed gracefully to her and sprinted out the door.

Izuna stood by the open door, watching them go as he held the doorframe tightly. Even from here, she could feel the longing rolling off of him. It must have been hard to watch his youngest brothers run towards the death and destruction Izuna hated.

"Come, Izuna." Kyoko turned to walk to the other side of the house and towards the back room, her heart thundering in her chest, "Let us pray."

The morning frost left ghostly white powder on the trees and on patches of dead grass. Inaba purposely stepped around them, trying to stay as quiet as possible as Captain Hokori's unit walked quietly out of the Uchiha territory. In order to prevent a possible wipe out, Tajima staggered the departure times of the various units, and Unit Five was the last to leave the compound on that chilly morning. Hopefully the first few groups finished setting up camp by the time the fifth unit arrived, it would be nice to sit and rest by the fire while they waited.

Directly behind him, the twins walked side by side. They weren't standing as close as they used to, but they were still close enough that Inaba was sure nothing was wrong. They were quiet. Everyone was quiet. Inaba felt bad that he was not brave enough to break the silence and offer them some comfort, but what could he offer them? When he went off to war for the first time, the atmosphere was completely different. It was a rush, chaotic, everyone was running. The forest was up in flames, the bodies were so thick on the ground he could hear the squelching sound of human flesh under his feet with every step he took as they rushed onto the field.

Inaba almost gagged, forcing the memory away as he took a few controlled breathes. Madara and Izuna did not have time to offer him words of encouragement, all they could do was keep him in their sights as they tried to deal with some of the bigger threats. So, Inaba looked over his shoulder and gave the twins a trembling smile. It was all he could offer them right now.

As they approached the campground Inaba let out a thankful sigh, everything looked set up, and men and women were huddled around the numerous fires. They were not trying to hide their presence; they wanted the Shimaru to know the Uchiha were waiting. Unit Five started trailing off from each other, breaking away to find their friends and family that came before them. Captain Hokori mumbled something about reinforcements, and hauled Matsu off with him, heading straight towards the largest tent in the center of the camp.

"What does Hokori want with Matsu?" Iku flexed his toes in his new boots, following closely behind Inaba.

"Not sure, we can ask Madara when we find him." If they found him. Inaba knew it would be hard to get a word in with Madara, he would be spending all his time running around making sure the logistics were in place like all the other leaders.

"About time you guys showed up." Inaba and Iku paused as Kotori blocked their path. Hands on her hips, she jerked her head towards a far off fire, "Our generations has a pit over there, come join us and eat." Neither protested as they followed behind her. Around the fire sat three other boys and an older girl about Madara's age. Sitting down next to Kon, Inaba carefully avoided eye contact with the other two boys. Yoshiaki and Masaki. He did not want to give them any reason to start a fight. Iku joined him, leaving a small space open as he kept peaking behind him, waiting for Matsu to come back.

"I'm glad we get a chance to eat like this before everything starts." The girl sitting next to Kotori nibbled on her rations, clearly enjoying them more than Iku. She was a little plump with bright red cheeks, Inaba could not help but stare.

"Who are you?" Iku leaned forward to openly observe the girl, and Inaba smacked him on the head.

"Brat, don't be so rude!" Inaba sighed, thankful that the girl laughed instead of taking offense. She was obviously a Uchiha with dark brown hair and black eyes, but she wore no weapons and her hands were smooth. Was this her first battle?

"That's right, you two have never been to the Ancestral Homeland before have you?" Kotori's face was stoic as she leaned back on the ground and took a sip of her water.

"Ancestral Homeland? Why don't you just call it the Outpost like everyone else. You're such a stuck up bitch." Yoshiaki sneered, crossing his arms over his chest as Masaki stuck his tongue out at Kotori. Face blank, Kotori put down her canteen with all the grace of a Uchiha woman. Tilting her head to consider them for a moment, Kotori hummed.

"Are you finished?" Her chakra rushed towards them, so strong that even non sensors could feel it. The two boys yelped, jumping from their seats and drawing the attention of other clan members. Calming her chakra down, Kotori looked deeply into their eyes, Sharingan spinning, "I am not Madara, I will not entertain you're pathetic attempts to intimidate me."

"Damn it!" Masaki glared at her, and the two boys stomped away, probably to another fire far away from Kotori.

"Oh dear, you're so violent Kotori." The girl put a hand on her cheek and chuckled, clearly unfazed as Kon, Inaba, and Iku sat stiffly in their seats. "You'll never get a husband acting like that!"

"She doesn't need a husband! She could be just like General Michiko." Iku protested weakly, blushing when Kotori gave him a gentle smile. She was by far the strongest girl of their generation. Only Madara and Izuna were stronger, and Setsuna could give her a serious challenge on one of his better days. She was the same age as Madara, but unlocked her sharingan before he did. Yet she still could not best him.

"You flatter me." She gave him a small wink and reached over the ruffle his hair. Peaking out from under his bangs, Iku gave her a happy smile, clearly happy with the gesture.

"Anyway," Inaba coughed into his hand, gesturing to the girl.

"Sorry, I'm Shira. I was born and raised at the Ancestral Homeland. This is my first time doing a mission with the Uchiha from the Main Camp." The girl gave a small bow from her seat, clearly happy despite the circumstances of their meeting. "Lets work well together."

"Of course, we're all Uchiha! We'll have your back!" Iku cheered happily, drawing a few sad smiles from the adults around him. How naïve, they thought, he won't be so joyful for long.

"She'll be with me on General Michiko's unit, so we might not get to see you in ba…" A loud horn sounded, cutting Kotori off. The adults rushed to their feet, throwing buckets to kill the fires. Inaba pulled up Iku, keeping a tight grip.

"Already?" Kon muttered, readjusting his weapon holster before putting out a fist. "Looks like its time to go." Inaba gulped before bumping fist with Kon.

"Are they here?" Shira clutched her fist to her chest, Kotori stood up smoothly, completely relaxed in the chaos around her.

"Go to your designated meeting area," She ordered, turning her back on them to look up at the sky.

"But Matsu's not back! What if he can't find us?" Iku's eyes burned with resistance as he tried to rip himself out of Inaba's grip.

"Matsu's a sensor, no doubt he'll meet up with you as soon as he can." Kon tried to calm him down, but Korori was in front of Iku in an instant, a heavy hand on his head.

"He's with Captain Hokori, so he'll be fine. Even if they get separated, we are the Uchiha, he will be among family." She did not say safe, she did not promise that Iku would see him after the war, but her voice was sure and steady. It was enough to calm the desperation in Iku's heart.

"What are you brats waiting for? Go!" A gruff voice yelled. They call gave each other one last look. Would they be able to sit around a fire like this again? Feeling the fire against their faces as they drank and ate? The wind blew roughly against Inaba's back. Kotori was the first to look away, and the group separated without any words.

Inaba carefully moved through the rushing crowds to the far side of the camp. Captain Hokori stood tall and animated, looking over his unit with unwavering confidence. By his side was Matsu, who franticly ran to Iku's side as soon as they appeared. This may be his first time leading a unit, but he was no stranger to battle, and was one the many shinobi who enjoyed it. grunted lightly as the twins stood, side by side, shoulders touching, in line with the other soldiers. He could barely see them over the grown men and women surrounding them. The swords strapped on their backs looked like twigs in comparison to the hefty sword in his grip. It was easily wider than either of them and as tall as them both.

As Hokori spoke, all Iku could do was breathe. Filling his lungs with icy cold air that burned his lips. He could hear them in the distance. Their boots lugging through the forest. The enemy. The Shimaru.

They were coming to answer the Uchiha's call. The only thing separating them now was a few lines of trees between the Uchiha camp and the open field where Hokori predicted the battle would take place. Iku's ears began ringing. His heart pulsed painfully in his chest. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Relax. Iku let out a slow breath when he felt gloved a hand clutch his identically gloved hand tightly. Without looking, Iku knew it was Matsu. That's right, everything was going to be ok. His heart slowed a bit, his hearing cleared. He could hear the clanking of armor around him as the other members of the Unit shifted impatiently. He could hear Captain Hokori command them to march forward. Looking over, he could see Inaba with a tight line on his face. He was calmer than the twins, yet more tense.

They were marching. They stopped behind the first unit. Through the gaps in the line, Iku could see, in the distance, the enemy. They held a large white flag with their clan symbol painted in the deepest red. The Shimaru stood proudly, patiently, painstakingly eager to test the legendary power of the Uchiha. The Shimaru shinobi leaned forward in anticipation, ready to cement themselves in history as the ones who defeated the Uchiha. Others were ready to die to become true shinobi.

" Stay by my side, ok?" Inaba mumbled so only the twins and a few others could hear. "No matter what happens, I promise to protect you." A bolder flew at the Uchiha forces, but it was reduced to ashes mere inches away from the front lines. Someone yelled. And they were running. Running to meet the Shimaru with drawn blades.

The battle had begun.


	11. Chapter 11

"Lord Tajima, that's the Shimaru clan head, Shimaru Kantaro." One of Mai's students, a spy in training, stood close behind Tajima as he stared across the battle field. His sharingan met the gaze of a young man, no older than Manju, who stood on the back of a rhino with a frown on his face. The signature scar of the Shimaru was carved into his neck, a show of willingness to die for his people.

"What do we know about him?" Tajima was calm as his elite guard kept all challengers away. Mai's student, Suzu, was his informant for this battle. Mai usually sent one of her many students to provide any sort of on the spot information that might give the Uchiha the advantage. Today it was Suzu, an Uchiha woman with spiky brown hair and two tomoe spinning in her sharingan.

"He posses both Earth and Wind style jutsu, excels in Taijutsu, and is rumored to be immune to genjutsu." Suzu diligently informed him, feeling a tad bit exposed even though she was probably in the safest place she could be on this battlefield. The Uchiha's elite guards were cutting down anyone who got too close, and Lord Tajima stood right in front of her.

"He's rather young," Tajima commented idly, when the Shimaru clan leader finally jumped off the ridiculously colored pink rhino, walking over to face Tajima like he was strolling through a garden. His own elite guard carved a clear path for him, mowing down a few Uchiha in the process. Tajima frowned in disgust, "What happened to the old leader?"

"The previous leader was a woman by the name of Shimaru Azama. We don't really know much about her, just that she forced her way into power by killing off the leader before her. Kantaro is the son of the leader Azama murdered, and took revenge by killing Azama and reclaiming the position of clan head." Suzu bowed when Tajima waved her away, jumping back so she would not get caught in the crossfire. This was her first time serving as Tajima's direct informant, so she settled in a tree, close enough to see but far enough away she could evade any attack. Extinguishing her chakra, she waited.

"Lord Tajima, what are your orders?" The head of the Uchiha guard, a gruff man with one eye covered with an eye patch, lugged a giant hammer over his shoulder. The elite guard moved to create a line between Tajima and the approaching Shimaru.

"Hold your ground, and when I give the signal," Tajima paused when the Shimaru stopped only a few feet away, "Do not hold back."

The Shimaru stopped only a few dozen feet away, the elite Shimaru guards frowned solemnly as they carefully watched the Uchiha elite guards, trying to pick a target. Huffing, the pink rhino scratched on the ground as Shimaru casually walked in front of it with a small grin that irritated Tajima far more than it should have.

"Tajima Uchiha, its an honor to see that you personally came to challenge me." Kantaro drew his tanto from his back and boldly pointed the blade at Tajima. The fighting around them halted instantly, those who were still able to move pulled their fallen comrades back into the safety of the trees. Giving their leaders and elite clansmen the space they needed to fully fight. Kantaro chuckled when he saw the Uchiha moving out of the way, "Never in my wildest dreams to I imagine the legendary Uchiha clan would come all this way to battle me."

"Your presence here is irrelevant." Tajima cut into Kantaro's pride, "We are only here because you have staked a claim on what is supposed to be a neutral town. As you can imagine, we can not allow ourselves to lose customers or resources to a lesser clan."

"Lesser clan?" One of the Shimaru elite guards snarled, hands moving to make a sign. One glance from Kantaro was all it took to stop him, and Tajima had to respect that, if nothing else, the young man could control his clan.

"The village may have been neutral for some time, but historically it belonged to the Shimaru until our past leader let it slip from her grasp." The man's mouth turned down in distaste at the mention of Azama, and Tajima had to respect the accuracy of Mai's students. Seems like the information was accurate. Kantaro sighed and tiled his head to the side, letting to tanto drop to his side. "So you can understand why it is our right to reclaim it."

"I can see your reasoning, but unfortunately I can not allow you to do as you please. This village belongs to the Uchiha and its allies now, consider this a warning." The wind blew lightly, chilling everyone and stinging any open cuts or wounds. The smell of roasting flesh, blood, and waste stung Tajima's nose, but it was so familiar that it barely was more than a passing thought. Kantaro stared into Tajima's eyes, totally unafraid of the sharingan that spun lazily.

The Shimaru elite guard leapt forward, weapons drawn and hands flying through complex signs as they unleashed a massive proactive strike against the elite Uchiha forces.

"Go!" Tajima's voice was calm but loud, and acted as a key that unlocked the chains that kept the Uchiha elite guard in formation. All of their eyes spun to life as fire erupted from their mouths.

"Hakura, stay with Lord Tajima." The head of the Uchiha guard roared as he moved to intercept one of the rhino summons that stampeded towards them. Tajima did not even flinch when a Shimaru woman with two tangled buns appeared crouched in front of him, her eyes hyper focused as she thrust her sword up towards his chest. Instantly, Manju stood in between his Lord and the Shimaru woman, his kunai blocking her sword as he pushed her back, green flames erupted from his lips, consuming her form. Pop. A log appeared in her place, quickly being reduced to ash and smoke as the woman appeared high in the sky, bursting through the smoke of Manju's fire as she glided down. Her body was straight and taunt as she prepared to strike Manju down. Her body jerked, and her heart seized as she crashed to the ground in a twitching heap a few feet away from Manju.

"My blood feels like its on fire." She wheezed out, sweat quickly collecting on her forehead as she glared up at Manju, his sharingan glowing eerily down at her. "You bastard, I avoided your attack, is this gen jutsu?"

"No, no, no." Manju sang lightly, readying a kunai to launch at her head, "Fire style: chemical burn. Even if you avoid the fire, the smoke is toxic and will burn you from the inside out." The woman coughed up blood, and looked up at Manju through one eye.

"Just do it, Uchiha scum."

"Happily, Shimaru bitch."

The woman died when the kunai pierced her brain, and Manju ran to help one of the other guards. Hakura watched him quietly, hands held firmly in the ram position as her chakra floated through her twin ponytails, making them float lazily around her. The Uchiha were pushing the Shimaru back, four of their elite guard now laid dead, easily taken down within minutes of the clash. Tajima and Kantaro did not move an inch as they waited for something that no one could pinpoint.

"My Lord, General Michiko's Unit and Madara's Unit have pressed forward and captured the village, but General Gacho's Unit is being pushed back." Hakura was straining to feel the fifth units' chakra. There were surely some serious casualties there, but nothing that could not be handled.

"Good," Tajima hummed, ignoring the way Hakura flinched when one of the elite Uchiha guard's spine was snapped in half by a massive Shimaru man. He was fearsome; probably over seven feet tall and stood like a crazed dog between the Uchiha and Kantaro.

"If you would allow me, I am more than a match for Kantaro, there is no reason for you to waste your efforts on him, Lord Tajima." Sparks jumped between Hakura's hair, drawing the attention of Kantaro who eyed her wearily. Not many people were happy to see the Uchiha's Red Radiance charging up for battle. Tajima mulled it over for a moment, trying to estimate the pros and cons of allowing the elegant Hakura to take on the leader of the Shimaru. She was clearly a match for him, if the twitch of his fingers and the unconscious flexing of his muscles was any indication, and by allowing her to defeat him it would provide many advantages. It would signal to the enemy that they stood little chance if the leader of the Uchiha has not even drawn his sword and their leader is dead on the ground. Word of her triumph would further her reputation, making it easier to charge rich customers more to hire her for escort missions. The only con he could currently see is that, if she was to fall, it might reinvigorate the spirit of the Shimaru and cause the battle to draw out.

"Fine, just don't hold back Hakura. You will receive no mercy from me if you disgrace me by losing."

"Understood." The area around her thundered, and her skin glowed white as she flashed forward like a ray of light.

The morning sky was red as fire licked at the dry grass and set the ground ablaze. The few remaining animals in the area scattered, grey smoke rose high into the sky, choking the forces lungs. Even the Uchiha were not immune to the dangers of smoke inhalation. Iku's eyes burned as the deafening sounds of explosive jutsu rattled his ears. His clothes were bit torn, and his face was stained with blood and dirt as his eyes darted back and forth across the battle field.

Patches Uchiha and Shimaru were caught in violent battles. Swords tore through flesh, kunai buried in the heads of the fallen. Men and women screamed on the ground, twitching as death slowly overcame them or they struggled to cope with their horrific injuries. Swallowing, Iku felt his muscles strain to hold up his sword in this rare moment of pause. Only a few seconds before, Iku had been locked in battle with a Shimaru teenager, the boy was bigger and wider with a painfully heavy kick. Before Iku could feel nervous, Inaba was there, intercepting the teenager and pushing him back with gritted teeth and fire.

"Iku!" Snapping back to focus, Iku felt his breathing pick up again until he ws panting. Matsu looked at him out of the corner of his eyes, equally dirty and afraid. "Don't lose yourself, remember what Manju said!" That's right. This wasn't a spar, there was no Kinpu, or Manju, or Madara and Izuna to save them if they got in trouble. Shaking his head, Iku nodded.

"Let's help Inaba!"

"Right!"

They moved forward together, boots slamming against the scorched earth as they ran to help their brother. Iku split off to the left, and Matsu took the right, circling the boy in as he was stuck trying to ward off Inaba's blows. His dark blue eyes were wide, his nostrails flared as he growled at the trio. It was clear he wasn't expecting this much of a fight from a couple of kids six years younger than him at least, and the damn brats were fast.

With a yell, he knocked Inaba's blade away, charging in with brass knuckles, aiming for Inaba's head. But Inaba only stepped back, and one of the twins was there, sword drawn and teeth barred as he slashed at the Shimaru's side. Unable to slow down, he jerked to the side, watching the blade slide past his face. He was stumbling.

There was a loud roar as a giant rhino summon appeared from the sky, falling, falling onto the shinobi below. The boy looked up and screamed. Inaba grabbed Matsu and Iku by their collars, hauling them away.

It was too close. Too close.

He pulled the twins under him as the rhino crashed into the ground. Rocks rained down on them, bruising Inaba's back and dirtying the Uchiha fan on his back. Jerking up, Inaba wanted to vomit. The teenager they were just fighting was crushed, only his chest, arms, and face were still visable. Blood poured from his ears, nose, and mouth, his finger twitched. He was still alive.

"Oh no." Matsu was trembling, completely forgetting that the boy tried to murder them only seconds before.

"That summons doesn't belong to an Uchiha," Iku whispered, clenching his eyes shut in anger as he looked away, tears still slipping through. "He was killed by one of his clansmen! They killed him, how could they?"

"It was probably an accident," Inaba yanked the twins to their feet as more people started screaming, coming to the realization that they were trapped under the giant rhino's massive weight.

"Help me! Help!"

"Come on, we've got to help him!" Iku took off, Matsu screaming after him as he followed. Inaba swallowed, looking at the Shimaru teenager one more time. Their eyes met, and Inaba froze. The teenager's eyes were filled with tears, and Inaba could see the Shimaru beg for death.

The battlefield went silent, and Inaba took his sword in both hands, walking forward a few steps.

If he had only been standing a few feet closer, if the twins had not interfered.

Inaba stood over the boy's head, hands shaking as he brought up the blade. This was not his first kill. It was not the first time his feet were soaked in the blood of the Uchiha's enemies. Still, his hands felt sweaty in the gloves over his fingers, and the ground swayed. The boy's eyes relaxed, and Inaba brought his blade down. It was mercy.

Swallowing, Inaba looked to the dirction the twins ran in, then circled the corner of the rhino. Matsu's hands were glowing green over the chest of a tan Uchiha man. Iku stood guard, still shaken but determined to protect them.

"You," the man coughed up a bit of blood, body jerking with the movement.

"Don't talk, I'm almost finished," Matsu snapped, voice breaking a tad at the end as caught sight of Inaba. The relief that washed over his face made Inaba's chest tighten. They must have panicked when they realized he was no longer with them. Moving to stand guard, Inaba turned his back to the twins, glancing quickly at Iku. He couldn't just leave them like that. They needed him. Inaba clutched the sword in his hands. If he wasn't vigilent, if he didn't give him all then one of them could die. His throat tightened. No. No. He would not let them die. They were his beloved little brothers. He would not let anyone hurt them!

"Inaba," Iku breathed in, "Your eyes!" Inaba felt light as he tilted his blade to see his reflection. A sharingan stared back at him, dark crimson and bright, it hypnotized him for a second. Jerking, he shook his head and stood guard, trying to ignore the happiness bubbling up in his stomach.

"Done!" Matsu put his hands on his knees as the man sat up, gingerly touching his chest. The armor breastplate was blasted to bits, small cracked sections hanging to his body by the remaining strings, useless. Still, his exposed chest was smooth, covered in a small layer of blood, but healed.

"You…you healed me?" The man looked to Matsu in awe, clearly dazed.

"You wound was mostly blunt force trauma so a lot of the damage wasn't visible. I fixe your ribs and healed your skin. Still, as soon as this is over you should rest for as long as possible. There was some damage to your heart, that's why you were coughing blood." Iku looked at Matsu with pride, he had the coolest brothers. Iku smirked as the man stood on his feet, awkwardly thanked Matsu and turned to Inaba.

"The battle over here is slowing down, I don't know what bastard summoned this beast, but if it hasn't disappeared yet then they're still around. We should regroup with General Gacho and see what his orders are."

Matsu stood up, rushing to stand beside Iku with his sword in his hand. "I can sense General Gacho nearby,"

"Look out!" A woman screamed, and the ground rumbled before columns shot to the sky. Inaba scrambled for something to grab onto as he was hurled through the air, his lungs felt light in his body as he started to fall back to the ground. Blinking, Inaba looked to his side. The man and the twins were hurtling a few feet away, struggling to get their bearings as the ground quickly approached. With a grunt, Inaba rolled to a stop, ignoring the sharp stones that dug into his skin as he came to a stop.

"Owe, what the heck?" Iku held his head in his hands, eyes looking dazed when he felt a warm wetness on his fingers.

"Iku!" Matsu was by him in an instant, hand glowing green as Iku wobbled a bit before blinking rapidly as clarity returned to him. "Be careful! You could have cracked your head open!"

"Oh? I didn't know the Uchiha had any healers that could work that quickly." A short man with a scar on his nose in the shape of an X, put one hand on his hip as he walked forward, brushing aside the kunai Inaba threw at him. The Shimaru kept his eyes on Matsu, before tilting his head back. "I have no problems with killing a kid, and healers are annoying. So I'll end you first!" The man lunged forward, hands racing through signs that Inaba realized he could easily follow and identify. The sharingan really was amazing.

"Earth Style: Mud Wolves!" The ground shuddered as six wolf figures drew up from the ground, their eyes yellow as they snapped their jaws.

"Boys! With me!" The Uchiha man yelled, performing his own hand signs as his sharingan spun rapidly. The four Uchiha lined up, and a wall of fire consumed the six dogs, they howled as they baked before breaking and turning to dust. The flaming wall kept going, growing hotter as it licked up the debris on the ground. Muttering to himself, the Shimaru's hands turned to stone, grinning as he let the fire crash into him. His feet dug into the ground, creating troughs in the dirt as he was forced backwards. The heat singed his eyebrows and eyelashes, his skin stung, but he held on.

"Inaba, come with me. Twins," The boys jerked when the adult Uchiha addressed them, "watch each other's backs." Inaba gulped as he and the older Uchiha raced forward towards the Shimaru earth style user.

"Behind you!" Matsu pushed Iku out of the way, bringing his sword up to knock away a Shimaru girl's punch. She screamed, and Matsu's eyes went wide as her arm hit the ground at his feet. Blood quickly pooled on the ground as she fell to her knees, her dark green eyes staring at the sight of her dismembered hand.

"I…" Matsu stuttered, feeling his grip on his sword loosened, "I didn't mean to,"

"My hand! My hand!" She wailed, trying to stand.

"I didn't mean to," Matsu kept repeating, and the woman lunged at him, kunai in her remaining hand as she stared at his throat. Iku moved in front of the dazed Matsu, hands flying through symbols. The kunai was inches from his nose when hot flames erupted from his mouth.

"Yumeno!" Some screamed, and an earth wall erupted from the ground, forcing Iku to cut off the jutsu. Taking a few quick steps back, Iku rejoined Matsu, who thankfully was back to reality.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, you're my twin." Matsu and Iku smirked at each other as the wall crumbled. As long as they were both alive, they could get through this. The Shimaru woman, Yumeno, was being cradled in the arms of the earth style Shimaru man. His face darkened as he held her scorched body. Yumeno's face was bright pink with raw blistering skin, with patches of black extending down her neck. Her eyes were wide open and dim. Iku felt his mouth go dry.

"She's dead." He killed her. He killed her. The thought wrapped itself around his neck and squeezed all the air out of his body. The world sounded slurred, and his chest pounded. He did that to her, he roasted her brains and seared her flesh.

"Iku! Matsu!" Inaba's voice shattered Iku's thoughts, forcing him to focus. Panting heavily, Inaba ran up behind the man, stopping a few feet away. The older Uchiha man joined him. Their clothes were splattered with mud, and Inaba's sharingan was deactivated.

"Yumeno?" the man's voice was low, begging. Matsu could no longer feel any chakra coming from the woman, even if the man rushed off now, there would be nothing any of their medics could do for her.

"Shimaru filth, that's what she deserves." The older Uchiha man hissed, pulling out two shuriken. They flew through the air, and buried themselves in the man's back. Matsu winced, but then took a few steps back when the man's body melted back into the earth.

"What is that?" Inaba forced his sharingan to reactivate, ignoring the splitting headache. He was still getting used to being able to see faster than he could react, and the sharingan used too much chakra too quickly. He really underestimated how much stamina it required to keep activated for long periods of time.

"Shit, an earth clone! Where," The Uchiha man coughed, blood trailing down his lips as he looked down. A large blade was poking out of his front, shining red as his blood dripped to the ground. Inaba jumped away as the Shimaru man appeared behind the older Uchiha, hands shaking as tears rolled down his eyes.

"You Uchiha bastards," The man's voice cracked as he kicked the Uchiha off his blade, watching the man fall hard onto the ground. Inaba moved to stand between the twins. Sucking in a breath, Matsu whispered a quick warning as the man's chakra expanded, stifling the air. The Shimaru was totally focused on them now as he stalked forward. "You killed my daughter! She was the last piece of my wife I had! I'm going to kill you, and I promise you, it won't be quick!"


	12. Chapter 12

Tsuro village was captured. Madara cut down one of the few remaining Shimaru and turned his head to get a look at his unit. Most of them were teaming up to execute anyone who did not surrender, which was almost everyone. The Shimaru believed there was no honor or grace for those who surrendered as a means to survive battle; a shinobi's purpose was sacrifice. Dying on the battlefield was the greatest show of love a Shimaru could show. It made Madara's stomach turn

"Young Lord Madara," Captain Kinpu kneeled behind Madara, the man's clothes were relatively clean considering they spent the last three hours fighting for their lives, "It seems that we have rounded up the last of the Shimaru over here. General Michiko's unit has entered the town from the South West, and she has already spread her men out to search for any Shimaru who may try to hide among the civilians."

"What about the other units, any word from them?" Madara was panting lightly, eyes coal black as he sheathed his blade. Captain Kinpu stood up, putting his hands on his lower back as he stretched.

"Lord Tajima and his elite guard have made contact with Shimaru's clan leader and elite guard, but it should be a relatively quick battle if Lord Tajima takes it seriously. Hokori's unit took the brunt of the Shimaru forces, but they seemed to be handling it. They'll probably head over soon enough." Captain Kinpu's eyes softened as he saw the way Madara's face twisted in frustration, "They'll all be fine, Madara. Inaba is a fine swordsman, and the twins were personally trained by one of the elite Uchiha guards. They're not the same brats that used to slack on missions with me."

"I know that, but still, something in my gut," Madara trailed off with a heavy sigh before slinging his sheathed sword over his shoulder, "Captain Kinpu, I need your advice."

"Of course my Lord,"

"I want to provide back up to Hokori's unit, but I also know that it might be my own selfish reasons that could end up in more of my unit dying. Ideally, I should send our men to set up a camp within the village to ensure the premise is secured and so that when the other units arrive, we can start fixing the wounded. I should also go and find the village leaders and explain the situation so we can get assistance from them. As the eldest son of Lord Tajima, it is my duty to make sure the transfer of power in Tsuro goes as smoothly as possible for the benefit of the clan."

"Sounds like you already know the answer," Kinpu yawned a bit, watching the young man fight himself. This battle was little more than a jog on a humid day to a man as seasoned as Kinpu. Hot enough to make him sweat and crave a bit of water, but no where near difficult enough to make him stop or need to sit down. That's why Lord Tajima graced him with the honor of advising young Lord Madara during his first battle as a commander. The boy was talented, the absolute pinnacle of Uchiha youth and power, but he was still inexperienced. Fighting a battle was far easier than commanding one, and if Lord Tajima was planning on officially crowing Madara his heir soon, then this would be the first of many battle the boy would lead.

It was inevitable. The entire clan already accepted Madara as Tajima's heir, they just needed to conduct the formal ceremony. Not only was the kid powerful enough to challenge some of the elite Uchiha guard, but he was intelligent, a skilled sensor, and absolutely devoted to his clan. His younger brother Izuna was a worthy contender, but the boy seemed content with a position as Madara's right hand. The other siblings were good, and if Madara and Izuna were not around, more than likely Iku would have been an acceptable heir, but with things as they were now, there was zero chance the three youngest would ever lead the Uchiha.

However, Madara possessed some worrisome tendencies. The boy was rather gentle, despite his raw strength. He loved his brothers deeply, and this love drove him to desperate measures to keep them safe. It was fine when they were children, but if it continued into adulthood, it could have negative consequences for the clan. Kinpu intended to use his position to curve that impulse in any way he could.

"Fine, we'll stay here." Madara bit the inside of his cheek, "send half of the men into the city and tell them to start preparing food for the others and beds for the wounded. Have the others spread out around the village with General Michiko's men, I'm going to go find the village leaders."

"And the prisoners?" Captain Kinpu jerked his head over his shoulder. Three Shimaru shinobi were on their knees, hands tied behind their backs as their heads hung low in shame. Madara scratched his head, still shocked that there were any prisoners at all.

"Let me see," Grumbling, Madara took his sword off his shoulder and strolled over to the prisoners, the other Uchiha clearing a path for him.

"Young Lord Madara, these three have formerly surrendered to the Uchiha. What are your orders?" A stone faced Uchiha woman lit a cigarette and took a puff, hoping it would calm her nerves after the battle.

"I am Madara of the Uchiha clan. First born son of Tajima and Kyoko, and commander of the second Unit. Who are you?" Madara watched as some recognition flashed on one of the Shimaru's face, but the other two looked at him blankly. His reputation was beginning to spread, it wont be much longer till his name instantly struck fear into the hearts of his enemies. Good, maybe they would not be so quick to fight.

"My name is Yui of the Shimaru, and these are my two sons, Kiryu and Miroku. Please spar us!" The woman touched her forehead to the ground, her sons watching in a mixture of shock and love. She lifted her head, "I was one of Lady Azama's personal attendants. I have no loyalty to Lord Kantaro, he murdered my Lady and is driving the Shimaru to our deaths'. Please, spar me and my two sons. I have valuable intel on the Shimaru and the Sarutobi clans that I can provide to you if you will agree to release us." There was a small amount of silence as Madara calmly tried to mull over the offer.

The Shimaru may have been rather independent, but the Sarutobi were a key ally of the Senju. If the woman's information was accurate, it could put the Uchiha at a great advantage.

"You're tied up and on your knees, how can we trust that anything you say is true?" the Uchiha woman blew out a puff of smoke and rolled her eyes, clearly already having made up her mind. As soon as Madara gave the word, she'd happily cut off their heads and go get something to eat.

"I'm telling you the truth. Use your Sharingan and look at my chakra, put me under a gen jutsu, do what you want to assure yourselves that my words are true!" The woman's dark brown eyes burned with a determination that made Madara frown.

"Take her into town and lock them up somewhere with a few guards. I don't want to dismiss this in case she's telling the truth, but I'd rather have Mai or one of her students conduct the interrogation." Madara sighed in relief when no one seemed angry at his command. As the head of Uchiha Intelligence, Mai was a skilled interrogator, and could get them the best results possible.

"Good choice, my Lord." Kinpu nodded, and began commanding the troops to their stations. Watching as the Shimaru prisoners were marched away, Madara ran his fingers through his hair. It was cold, and he could still see the bright light of a freshly burning fire in the direction his three brothers should be in.

Iku grunted as his back hit the ground, sliding back into the trunk of a tree. His body slammed against the wood, making his head spin and the world go blurry for a moment as he struggled to quickly regain his senses. The Shimaru man was raging. Inaba barely managed to dodge being sucked into a swirling vortex of mud, jumping high into the air.

This man was too much for them, Matsu nearly stopped breathing as he barely managed to lean out of the man's kicking range and moved back to rejoin Inaba. Their fire style is doing minimal damage, and whatever hits they can manage, he brushed them off like he felt no pain at all. He also seemed to be particularly aiming for the twins, probably driven by hatred and sadness. It took all their strength just to dodge him, a counter attack was nearly out of the question. Inaba's sword laid broken in three pieces on the ground after the man crushed it. Currently, he was using Matsu's slightly smaller sword, since Matsu was far less skilled with a blade.

"We've been separated from the rest of the unit." Iku could feel the panic in his voice as he looked past the man to the burning broken earth and failed to see any other Uchiha. "Inaba what should we do?"

Inaba did not answer; it felt like his mind was hitting a wall. His throat burned from breathing in smoke and his veins throbbed as his chakra reserved dipped dangerously low. The Shimaru man paused in his assault for a moment, breathing hard, face smudged with dirt as he huffed and puffed. The three siblings took the moment to regroup, their legs barely supporting their weight.

"We have to signal for help," Matsu held his upper left arm to his body, not daring to use any chakra to heal himself. It was bruised, and maybe fractured, but it would not prevent him from fighting. Reaching out, he could sense that Iku was the only one left with a decent amount of chakra, and even that would only produce one or two decent fire style attacks. The man's chakra was low, but he seemed to be trying to crush them all with his bare hands anyway, so it would not be much of a hindrance.

"Is there anyone nearby?" Inaba gasped as the earth below him drew up, and a copy of the Shimaru man was leering over them, hands out as he reached for Inaba's throat. Letting his body drop into a crouch, Inaba hopped away from the clone as the original forced the twins away from him.

"I'm tired of screwing around with you brats!" The clone snarled, all sense of grace gone as he savagely lunged for Inaba, knocking the wind out of Inaba's lungs as they rolled on the ground.

"Inaba!" Matsu and Iku yelled, trying to get around the original only to be stopped by a massive wall of earth the rose high in the sky and blocked Inaba from view.

"What are you gonna do without big brother to protect you?" The original taunted between his maddened laughs, tears rolling down his face at the sight of the twins taking slow steps back, fear and desperation filled their large black eyes as the man stood up straight, cracking his knuckles. "You killed my daughter, brats. Now take your punishment like shinobi and die!"

The twins' muscles strained as they used all their energy and a little extra to stay out of the man's range. When he would aim for Matsu, Iku would appear behind him, forcing the man to defend himself. When he would attack Iku, Matsu would throw kunai from behind him. And on and on it went. The twins continued to dance just out of his reach, mentally thanking Manju over and over for pushing them to their limits. If they managed to get out of this they would never ever sass him again.

"Stay still!" The original was panting, his knees buckled a little when he turned too fast to swipe at Iku. The twins noticed and caught each other's eye. This was their chance.

"Hurry up, Matsu." Iku muttered under his breath, before taking a deep breath and shouting, "I knew the Shimaru were weak, but this is just embarrassing! Can't you even take down a couple of brats?"

"What did you say?" The original turned his full attention to Iku, nostrils flaring as he clenched his fist. Iku allowed a small smirk to grace his face, a stark contradiction to his torn clothes, bruised body, and blood stained blade.

"This is our first battle and you're having trouble taking us down. How lame. At this rate, our older brother Madara could have crushed your clan all by himself!"

"Madara?" Something flickered in the man's eyes, and he hesitated. Iku's smile fell from his lips as a calm aura settled over the man, as he slowly considered Iku in a new light. "Madara, as in the heir to the Uchiha clan, is your elder brother?"

"That's right!"

"Perfect," The man smirked, "I'll kill two birds with one stone." Iku felt small under the oppressive slow of killer intent that started to drip off the man. Was he not being serious before? "Tajima only has five sons. I'll wipe out three of you here and now and avenge my daughter! If nothing else, the Shimaru will have dealt a major blow to the main line of the Uchiha clan." Iku blinked and the man's fingers were around his throat, squeezing his windpipe. Kicking and clawing at the hand, Iku dropped his sword, his breathing coming out in loud gasps as the man watched him die with a solemn expression.

"Let me," Iku's world started to fade, his heart hammering in his chest as he needed air.

"You're not half bad kid, I'll give you that. You and that twin of yours actually cost me a good bit of chakra." The man's face darkened as he thought of his daughter's mangled corpse, "Now die quietly. I promise you won't be separated from your twin or that other brat for very long."

"Leave them alone!" Iku gasped out, not caring that each word felt like acid claws ripping at his throat. He did not even have the strength to kick his legs anymore, blackness crept to the center of his vision.

"Iku!" Matsu's voice rang out into the clearing, and Iku's eyes snapped open as the Shimaru man dropped him, staggering back and dozens of nearly invisible threads sprung up from the ground, firmly attached to the kunai that Matsu threw earlier. Iku greedily gulped in air through his mouth as his bottom hit the ground, hand flying to his throat the sooth the throbbing pain.

"What the hell?" The man snarled as more and more ropes just kept appearing, entangling him in a mess of wire that was sharp enough to cut into his skin. Looking up, he could see the wires all travel back to one spot high in the trees. Matsu was hanging from a tree, using a sturdy branch, his weight, and the wires as a pulley system to keep the man immobilized.

"Iku, are you ok?" Matsu used all of his weight to pull the wires tight so they would dig deep into the man's skin, making every twitch of the Shimaru's muscles painful. Iku wobbled to his feet, giggling a little from the lack of air and the relief of finally being free. As he watched the man roar and struggle in Matsu's crude trap, Iku couldn't help but to giggle a bit as he slowly formed hand signs with his hands.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!" Iku spewed the last remains of his chakra from his lips in a massive ball of dark red flames. The Shimaru man's eyes went wide as he struggled to free himself, hands too tied up to make a substitution. The fire roared towards him, loud and burning as it consumed his body. He did not scream, and Matsu fell to the ground with a yelp when the fire caused the wires to snap.

As the fire dispersed, all that was left was the Shimaru man's blackened body, laid face down on the ground. His chest still heaving.

Iku's eyes widened, and he lifted his leg to move forward, aiming to quickly end the man before he could get back up. Iku's knees buckled and he fell to his knees, body screaming as he gagged. His was totally out of chakra, and it hurt. His veins throbbed like shards of glass were traveling though his body, and his throat still ached from being choked.

Matsu struggled to move over to his brother's side, body just as bruised up, but he still had a small bit of chakra left. Concentrating, his hands were covered by a blue cloak of chakra, but as he panted he could not force it to turn blue. He was too spent, he couldn't make his chakra do as he wanted.

His mind drifted to Elder Tsabasa and Okoku. He imagined them sitting on the porch, as they waited for him to arrive for training. When Tsabasa accepted him as her student his resolve was to become a good enough healer that he could assist his brothers from the background. Matsu was weaker than them, and he did not have as much chakra. Still as he saw Iku sitting on his knees, arms on the charred grass as he struggled to ignore the pain overtaking his body, he became angry at himself.

Why was he so much weaker than his twin? Why wouldn't his chakra do what he trained so hard for it to do? Matsu clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes, forcing every strand of chakra to pay attention to him. His hands burned as they flickered green, but he breathed a sigh of relief. Ignoring the way his body burned with the effort, Matsu placed his hands on Iku's back, funneling what little chakra he had left into his twin.

"Matsu, stop it." Iku ground out, panicking as he began to feel better, but he could see his twins eyes fill with pain. Sitting up slowly, Iku tried to push Matsu away, but the boy was made of stone, and single mindedly continued to force Iku to accept his chakra.

"You're hurt, I've got to help you." Matsu did not hear the words come from his mouth as his world began to sink into darkness. Iku muttered something, but Matsu could not hear it.

"Uchiha brats," The twins' heads snapped up to look at the Shimaru man, who was using his arms to prop himself up. One of his eyes was closed, and he was panting quickly. "Don't ignore me, I'm not done yet."

"Yes, you are." The Shimaru stiffened as Inaba jumped over the earth wall and landed beside him, still holding Matsu's sword in his hand. His sharingan faded from his eyes as he stood up, mouth in a grim line. "This fight is over. You lost."

"You, you beat my clone?" The man's eye went wide, before he started to laugh from deep within his belly. It was a loud and infectious sound, and if they were not currently all suffering from wounds and chakra exhaustion, they might have laughed with him. The man slumped down, resting his chin on the dirt, "As expected of Tajima Uchiha's children. I should have just cut you all down from the beginning." The man's body jerked when Inaba drove the sword into the man's spine, too tired to continue listening.

"Ow, ow, ow" Inaba complained as he cradled his head between his hands, clenching his eyes closed. "Why did no one ever tell me how much the Sharingan hurt?"

"Big brother, you're so stupid." Iku grinned, feeling slightly better as Matsu's hands faded and Matsu began to lightly cough. Matsu leaned against Iku, who now had the strength to support him, "And what the heck, Matsu. You're supposed to be the smart one, don't do stupid things like heal me when you have no chakra."

"Shut up, Iku, your yelling hurts my brain!" The three brothers let out weak laughs, the stress of the battle making them drunk on relief. The sun was high in the sky now, signaling that noon had arrived. Inaba looked down at the twins, ignoring his own pain as he tried to get a sense of where they were. The battle pushed them into the forest, but he could see the clearing through a few trees if he concentrated, ow, which really hurt his had. "We need to get back to the clan before we run into anymore trouble. We don't have the chakra to defend ourselves. Matsu, can you sense the others?"

"Chakra gone, everything hurts." Matsu slurred, eyes closed as he struggled not to give into sleep. Inaba sighed and took a step forward, looks like he'd have to carry them. Still. He was really proud of them for holding their own. Frankly it was pure dumb luck that they survived, the man was blinded by his own rage, which caused him to draw out what could have been an instant kill.

A spear sailed out of the trees, and blood erupted from Inaba's throat as his back slammed against the earth wall. Iku and Matsu's head snapped up as they screamed. Pain, unimaginable and ice-cold pain spread through his chest, and Inaba coughed up another glob of blood, staining his chin. He struggled to reach his hand up, his fingers encircling the spear that pinned him to the wall. He gave a small tug, but the spear did not move. His head lulled forward, and he could barely feel his heart beat. Was he dying?

Oh.

His head felt like it was underwater, and then he was falling. Falling. Was that Iku's voice? No Iku, Inaba was too busy to watch you pull a prank on Captain Kinpu today. Some other time. Some other time.

"Inaba!" Iku screamed as his brother's head fell forward, Inaba's hand slipped from the spear. Hot tears fell down his cheeks as he screamed. Inaba was dead. His blood kept flowing to the ground even as his body stopped moving. Iku could not look away. It happened so fast.

There was a silence that settled over them as Iku's body went cold.

"Inaba? Inaba!" Iku didn't know why he was screaming, who he was pleading with. Maybe it was the gods that his mother often prayed to when Tajima left for battle. Maybe it was to Inaba, promising never to pester his older brother again if he would just not die. Please don't die, Inaba!

His breathing quickened, and Iku tried to calm down. It wasn't working. It wasn't working. Oh god, Inaba was dead. His hands began to shake as more tears poured from his eyes. He wanted Izuna. He wanted Madara. He wanted Manju. Iku threw up. He wanted someone stronger than him to tell him Inaba would be ok.

"How pitiful." A woman's voice drawled, and Iku snapped his head around. A woman with coffee brown hair and dark brown eyes stared curiously at Inaba's corpse, tapping her lip as she casually strolled past the twins to get a closer look at the body, "He looks so much like Tajima Uchiha, but his chakra was so weak."

"He was an Uchiha, Lady Mao, they are all weak." A bulky yet regal looking man appeared behind the twins, making Iku jump as he wrapped his arms around Matsu's shoulder. Holding his breath, Iku could not say anything as he stared at the symbol on the shoulder of the man's armor.

Senju.

Iku's fingers dug into Matsu's skin, but the younger twin paid him no mind. Risking a glance, Iku felt his throat catch at Matsu's wide eyes that could not look away from Inaba's body. His lips were trembling, but he did not have the energy or the clarity of mind to cry or panic.

The Senju woman, Mao, hummed in agreement as she stuck the back of a kunai under Inaba's jaw to tilt up his head up. Like he was some kind of diseased animal she did not want to dirty her hands.

"Hey, if we take his eyes like this, will the sharingan still work? I thought I saw him using it against the clone, but he must have shut it off."

"No, I'm not even sure if transplanting the sharingan is possible," The man drawled, totally ignoring the twins, "we've never had a chance to try."

"Oh how exciting!" The woman clapped her hand together, "Imagine if we came home with a pair of Uchiha eyes, Uncle Butsuma couldn't be mad at me! He might even give me a reward! What do you think, Yuumaru?" Her teeth shone as she grinned up at him, hands on her face as she dreamed of earning her uncle's praise.

"Don't touch him, Senju trash!" Iku snapped, grunting when Matsu's weight was removed from his back and a boot slammed into his spine, forcing him to his stomach and pushing blood out of his mouth. Yuumaru stood passively over him, grinding his boot into Iku's back, but Iku did not relent, "That's my brother, don't dirty his body with your filthy hands!" Stars danced across his vision as the boot lifted up only to crash back down against his spine again.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about you two." Mao strutted over to crouch down by the twins, Iku held in place by Yuumaru, and Matsu laid crumpled on his side, too chakra deprived to move on his own. The younger twin was fighting to keep his eyes open. Mao reached down and tapped Iku's nose, "I've never seen identical twins before, it's true what they say, even after watching you fight I have no idea which one is which."

"You were watching us?"

"Of course! I love watching little Uchiha brats like you as you wither in pain and die. I guess you could call it a hobby." Mao grinned then pouted, "It's a shame that Shimaru couldn't handle it himself, so I had to step in."

"Stupidly so, my Lady, we were told not to interfere." Yuumaru politely chastised Mao, but she only rolled her eyes, "Now we risk sparking another massive battle between the Senju and Uchiha because you could not control yourself. We were sent to only observe, not kill."

"But that's so dull, Yuu-Yuu, come on, we're already here, so lets string these brats up and leave a nice present for Tajima Uchiha to find." Mao tangled her fingers in Matsu's hair, digging her fingernails into his scalp as she hauled him to his knees. Iku grunted as he tried to wiggle from under Yuumaru, but the man only pressed down harder.

"I really advise against it, my Lady. It would cause unnecessary conflict. You've already killed one child, but killing three is unbecoming. Especially when they fought honorably and were unable to fight back when you found them." Yuumaru's words struck a cord in Iku. The man was willing to spare them? A Senju was willing to spare an Uchiha, and if Iku heard correctly, Yuumaru sounded upset about Inaba's murder too.

"Oh shut up, Yuumaru, you're starting to piss me off with that voice of yours!" Her words were harsh but her tone was playful as she fished a kunai out of her pouch and brought the blade to Matsu's neck. Iku's eyes widened, and he began to struggle with all his might, which Yuumaru only rolled his eyes at. It was unbearable pitiful, like holding a small dog as it tried to run after a wolf.

"Stop it, don't hurt him! I'll kill you!" Iku's voice broke and tears started to run down his face as the reality of his situation slammed into his heart. They were all going to die here. Alone and weak against the Senju, they were going to be killed like pigs with their necks casually cut open. Iku's throat tightened.

Inaba was dead, and this woman was holding a knife to his twin's throat. There was nothing Iku could do, there was no one around to hear them. They were alone and weak and exhausted and very very cold. Iku swallowed thickly, tasting the iron in his blood taint his spit.

He thought of his family. Madara and Izuna would be so sad when they heard all three of their younger brothers died. Madara would hit something, or someone, maybe Tajima. Izuna would stay quiet, shoulder shaking as tears flowed down his cheeks as he watched dirt cover their coffins. Which one would hurt for longer? Which one would blame themselves more? Probably Madara. He was always so dramatic and emotional and loving. It would tear him apart.

How would Manju react? Would he cry at their funeral, would he even go? Iku regretted not telling Manju how much the man meant to him, not taking a second to properly bow before his sensei and thank him for all of his efforts. When someone told Manju that they were dead, would he ball up his fist? Would he vow, 'Never again', under his breath and swear to wipe the Senju off the face of the earth? Would he take other students? Iku hoped he would, he was a good teacher. The best.

Would Father and Mother be sad? Would they mourn the twins openly for all to see, or in the dark of night when they were alone? Would they bury the twins together or in separate coffins? Would Mother set out offerings for them at the family shrine every morning like she has since Iku was a baby? Would Tajima regret not spending more time with the twins? Would they care at all? No, probably not. Three less useless mouths to feed.

Iku was steadily crying now. He did not want to die, but even more so, he did not want Matsu to die too. They already lost Inaba and that hurt, it hurt more than Iku could even describe. It hurt so much, and yet Matsu was his twin. He loved Matsu more than life. He wanted Matsu to live, even if it meant he would die and spend an eternity alone in the afterlife watching Matsu live and grow up.

"Please, don't." Iku knew Tajima would sneer in disgust if he heard him begging for their lives, he knew that even Manju would be angry with him. It did not matter. All Iku wanted was for the Senju woman to leave Matsu alone. "Please, he's my little brother."

"Be quiet, child." Yuumaru's voice was soothing, almost pitying as he lifted some of the weight off Iku's back, "Die with dignity like true shinobi should."

"No," Iku snarled, still crying, "I won't be quiet. I don't care about dignity or Uchiha or anything else!" His fingers dug into the ground, and he tilted his head so he was staring into Mao's eyes as she glowered over him, "Nothing matters to me more than my little brother. And if you hurt him, I won't stop until I've made you pay!"

"Is that right? You'll grow strong and hunt me down?" Her grip on the kunai relaxed, then she drew back her hand with a smile, "Sounds like fun!" The kunai slashed through Matsu's throat, and Iku's eyes went wide.

"No!" He could not look away.


	13. Chapter 13

Iku's scream grated on Yuumaru Senju's ears, making the man turn his head away as the boy began to wail and fight and scream his twin's name over and over again. Matsu. Matsu. What an unfortunate thing for a child to see. With a heavy heart, Yuumaru drew the tanto off his back, lifting it above Iku's head. Yuumaru knew what it was like to lose a little brother, there was no reason to make this brat live with that kind of pain when Yuumaru had to power to end his suffering now.

"Yuu-Yuu what are you doing? We've got to leave him alive so," Mao froze, her face did not move an inch as a flash of white appeared in-between her and Yuumaru. Red eyes.

Mao instantly disappeared in a puff of white smoke, no longer so smug as Hakura's sharingan swirled rapidly before her. Yuumaru used his sword to block an attack from two Uchiha elite guards, and Iku gulped in air as the weight was lifted off his back.

"Damn it," Mao and Yuumaru retreated to the bare trees, glaring down at the assembled Uchiha, "I thought they were on the other side of the battlefield."

"Let us take our leave, my Lady!" Yuumaru snatched her wrist in his hand as he yanked her through the trees, running full speed.

"After them!" Tajima growled, four of the elite guard disappeared into the trees.

Now free, Iku could only curl into a ball and sob, wrapping his arms around himself as he kept chanting Matsu's name over and over again. Trapped in his own mind, Iku's heart tore itself apart. Matsu was dead. Inaba was dead. Matsu was dead. And yet, Iku was alive. It felt like his heart was being pulling in six directions, a bomb trying to explode within but couldn't break through his skin.

What was life without Matsu by his side, without his calmer and smarter self to balance Iku out? Was it even worth living if he was alone like this? How could people exist like this? Iku had never been alone, Matsu was always there beside him, someone who he could trust without hesitation. Now Matsu was gone.

"Iku!" Manju appeared in front of his curled up student, his heart racing as he watched the boy pull at his hair. His mind put two and two together, and he shifted the bundle in his arms. "Iku, Iku, its ok. Matsu ok. Matsu is alive, it was a substitution," Manju did not get to finish before Iku's eyes snapped open and he found the strength to push himself up on his arms. The body the woman slashed was only a splintered piece of wood, and in Manju's blood covered arms laid Matsu. Breathing and eyes closed.

Iku's heart echoed in his ears, steady, slow and getting slower.

Manju frowned when Iku swayed and then collapsed unconscious on the ground. Seems like Manju was right to take off ahead of the rest of the group. He was able to arrive seconds before the Senju woman's blade tore into Matsu's throat. After having Matsu safely in his arms, he had to wait. The chakra coming off those two Senju was problematic in his current state.

"Lord Tajima?" Hakura watched as Tajima slowly walked over to Inaba's corpse, still pinned against the cracked dirt wall, and touched the boy's cheek with his bare hand. She could not see his face, but the way his fingers lingered on Inaba's skin made her look away.

"They're done, we've got to get them warmed up quickly." Manju was muttering to himself, not bothering with Lord Tajima. It was heartbreaking whenever a young Uchiha was killed in battle, but this was not the first dead kid Manju had seen, and it was barely more than a passing thought. Right now, he was far more concerned with his students.

Matsu strained his chakra too far, the boy would be unconscious from chakra exhaustion for at least two or three days. Iku was beaten pretty badly, there were bruises on his neck where someone must have tried to suffocate him, and more than likely his back would be just as bruised if not more so. That wasn't what Manju was worried about.

"Go ahead to the village then, I'll stay behind to see if I can find any more survivors." Hakura sent out her chakra over the fifth unit, no longer concerned with guarding Tajima. The battle was over, and the Uchiha were victorious. A significant portion of the gathered Shimaru forces were annihilated, the few who survived were either captured, slowly dying on the ground, or managed to escape. The Shimaru clan would need years to recover.

"Right, I'm going then." Manju glanced at Tajima, who was still staring at Inaba's body. Manju turned away before anyone could see the look of disgust on his face. Tajima had two living sons that needed him, and he could not even look at them? For the first time in his life, Manju started to question his leader, then crushed the thought. What was wrong with him? Of course Manju wasn't affected by Inaba's death, he barely knew the boy other than as his students' lazy older brother. Of course, Manju's attention was going to be on the twins, he was their teacher.

Tajima was Inaba's father.

No matter how indifferent or aloof he was towards the boy, Inaba was his son. No father, no matter how battle worn, could think completely logically as his young child's corpse was presented before him. No one was that heartless.

"I'll seal the body away at once, my Lord," Hakura's voice was gentle as he put her hand to her chest, trying to convey her deepest sympathies while retaining an air of formality.

"No," Tajima's voice was gruff, he sounded tired, "I'll do it, take those that remain and go look for survivors." The remaining Uchiha bowed and ran off to the main battlefield, hopeful that they would find some of their clansmen alive.

There was a flap of wings as a few birds glided overhead, their wings beating against the strong wind current that flapped Tajima's long pant legs. His mind was blank as he wrapped his fingers around the wooden pole of the spear. With one harsh yank, the weapon that murdered his child clattered on the ground. Tajima caught Inaba's body and gently lowered him to the ground. Taking out a scroll, he paused when his eyes looked at Inaba's face.

The boy was almost a perfect clone of Tajima in his youth. Dark black hair, tanned skin, deep lines under his eyes and thin eyebrows. The main difference is that Inaba's mouth did not have the harsh lines that Tajima's always did, and Inaba's hair does not cover half his face. As a child, Inaba used to complain it tickled his nose, so Kyoko would cut his bang short. He loved haircuts, unlike Madara who avoided Kyoko's scissors with distaste or the twins who only let Kyoko take off the smallest amount.

Inaba was a good boy. Always happy and cheerful, eager to meet people, Inaba was always crawling around after Izuna and Madara. As boy got older, he got lazier, slacking off on his training and pulling irritating pranks that unfortunately rubbed off on the twins. Their pranks were far less sensational, although it was typically harder to prove that the twins were guilty in comparison to when Inaba and Kon pulled pranks. He never craved anyone's approval; Inaba was an independent child who did not mind that none of his siblings favored him. The twins were always and openly each other's favorite, while Madara and Izuna had a bond that the younger three were only beginning to understand.

It was too bad, Inaba had finally turned himself around and starting taking his responsibilities seriously, and now he was dead.

"Now I understand," Tajima let out a bitter laugh as he thought back to all the young Uchiha parents that would glare at him in hatred when he brought home their children's mangled bodies. They would wail and cry over the body, swallowed by their grief. At the mass funerals, they would watch him with cold and unforgiving eyes. As the Lord of the Uchiha clan, Tajima was supposed to protect them all, but he brought back more children in pieces than he did whole.

Was this why the entire clan pushed so hard for the twins and Inaba to go to war? Did they want to see the pain in his eyes as he lost one son after the other? They did not care that Madara and Izuna fought, they were too strong to die, Tajima would not suffer for his sins unless the other three went out there and suffered the same painful fate as dozens of other Uchiha children.

It hurt.

Tajima could admit that.

Unraveling the scroll, Tajima stared at the black ink on the paper for a moment before he exhaled from his nose and Inaba's body poofed away. Staying still for a moment, Tajima put his hands over his eyes.

Who knew it would hurt this much?

Madara pulled off his cloak and peeled off his wet gloves as he walked into the inn. After the Uchiha secured Tsuro, Madara and Tajima finished the last of the negotiations with the town leaders. They were as welcoming as Koramu promised, and they even set up a feast that night to welcome their new guardians. Thankfully, the Uchiha took minimal losses, with only nine shinobi dead in total, and fourteen being seriously injured. Madara tried not to dwell on the fact that his brother were included in both those figures.

Over a week had past, and the first of the Hagoromo clan were arriving to take over guarding the town, and the Uchiha were slowly being sent back home. Right now, those who were still wounded were being housed at the inn, which the townspeople turned into a makeshift hospital. There were very few medics within the clan, and even fewer of a high caliber. A few of the injured had died in their beds from wounds that a competent medic could have healed, but Madara pushed that thought from his head too.

Giving a single knock on the wooden door, Madara let himself inside, instantly going to light a candle and close the blinds. Two beds were pushed close together, not enough so they were touching, but close enough that those in the beds could brush their fingers together.

Leaning back against his pillows, Iku fumbled absentmindedly with the bandages on his neck. "What's going on out there? I saw a few of the Uchiha lining up to leave, is it time to go home?"

"Not yet," Madara slowly let himself sit on the edge of Iku's bed, he gave Iku a tired smile, "Father will start sending the first group home tomorrow, but you're going to stay here until you're well enough to travel."

"Are you staying too?" Iku relaxed back into the pillows, happy to have someone to talk to.

"No, I've got to get back for the funeral." The words silenced them both, making the air taste stale. Madara still could not say Inaba's name out loud without tears leaking out. Unlike Iku, Madara was not given time to mourn. There was so much to do, Madara did not even have a moment to himself to cry.

Madara remembered the night Iku woke up after the battle. The boy was in a panic, screaming for Matsu in the middle of the night. His chakra hit Madara like a brick. Madara was just outside, wrapping a few lose ends when he felt Iku's chakra lash out wildly. Fearing the worst, Madara abandon the conversation and flew into the twins' room using the window. Madara resorted to physically restraining Iku, promising him that everything would be fine.

"Liar! You always say everything is going to be fine, but it'll never be fine again! Liar, liar, liar!" Iku's voice was raw and scratchy as he tried to thrash out of Madara's grip on his shoulders. Iku's eyes were jerking wildly all over the room, but Madara did not allow himself to feel anything at the sight on Iku's new sharingan. Grunting, Madara tried to be as gentle as possible while also being forceful. The boy's lungs were badly damaged, and if he used too much energy, they might start bleeding and delay his recovery time.

"Iku, everything's alright, the battle is over. You're safe now!" Madara glanced over to where Matsu was still sleeping quietly on his back. He should be waking up any day now.

"But Inaba's dead!" Madara's brain went blank, and he tilted his bangs to cover his eyes. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry in front of Iku.

"I know," Madara paused as his voice cracked and he clenched his jaw, "I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect him."

The memory was painful. Now as they sat in the inn turned hospital, the fact that they were one brother short hung between them. They could hear the wind picking up, blasting large drops of rain onto the side of the building. It was almost deafening. Iku's eyes faded back to black.

"Do you remember the day me and Matsu got kicked off Captain Kinpu's team? How the five of us went to the bath together and just got to laugh?" Iku paused, Madara's eyelids dropped at the memory, letting himself get lost in the echoes of laughter. Iku touched the bandages on his neck. They were oddly soft against his fingertips, "I remember being so frustrated when you and Izuna had to run off to some meeting. I wanted to go with you, I wanted to be a real ninja and do dangerous missions and protect the clan. But I was weak, well, I'm still weak, but back then I was really weak. I thought that there was nothing I wanted more than for the five of us to fight side by side. Izuna and Matsu on your left, and me and Inaba on your right, supporting you as we protected the clan together. But when that woman, Mao, killed Inaba, and when I thought she killed Matsu, I wanted nothing more than to never be on a battle field again. I wanted to run away and go someplace were I would never have to fight again, I didn't care about the Uchiha honor or whatever Father is always going on about. All I wanted was to have my brothers back, safe." The rain died down a bit, and Madara turned his head to look at Iku and gave him a small smile.

" That's what I want too. My little brothers, all of you safe and away from this war, but," Madara frowned and looked out the window, "in this world, because of who we are, that isn't possible. I thought that if I could delay your destiny as a shinobi… that I could keep you away from war forever if I just kept Father satisfied. It was foolish. I see that now."

"So there's no way out, then? We're going to die out there some day, just like Inaba. War is never gonna stop, and we can only hope for it to end when the enemy is completely gone." Iku let his hand drop, his voice trembling as he clenched the fabric of the sheets between his fingers. "Or when we are."

"No," Madara's voice was firm, "the only way for war to end if for us to decide to break the cycle of suspicion and hatred. The Uchiha and the Senju are the strongest clans in existence; our rivalry goes as far back as our stories of the Founder. There's so much hatred and fear towards each other, we kill them and they kill us. They cycle just keeps going, and it will keep on going forever unless we choose to forgive and show our enemy our hearts."

"Show our hearts to the Senju?" Iku growled, Mao's mocking smile flashing through his mind, "Those monsters murdered Inaba. How could I ever trust one of them? How could I ever forgive them, how could you? Don't you want revenge,"

"I have killed Senju children too, Iku." Madara snapped, cutting the younger boy off, "You have killed a Shimaru child yourself. Should her siblings kill you to avenge her? That would only drive Matsu and Izuna and I to seek revenge, and it would only keep going until it got bigger and bigger." Madara took a deep breath, "If you really want peace, if you really want to never step foot on another battlefield again, you have to be willing to show yourself completely to the enemy."

"But how do I know I can trust them?" Iku's voice was quiet as he tried to soak in Madara's words.

"I don't know." Madara admitted with a chuckle, giving Iku a confident smirk, "But I promise, one day, I'll find the answer. It's my dream to make a place that safe, where no more children will die and you and Izuna and Matsu can live happily without war."

"Well, when you do, let me know. I'll support your dream always, Madara." Iku gave Madara a big toothy grin, not protesting as Madara lightly ruffled his hair. It was like a weight was gone, Madara now knew that at least one of his brothers would support him in his quest for peace. Now he had two people. Iku and Hashirama. Together, maybe he and Iku could convince Izuna and Matsu to join them in their dream. It would be hard with those two. Izuna wanted peace, but one that stemmed from the annihilation of their enemies. Matsu was afraid, he did not like to take chances, he would not be easily convinced to do something like put complete faith in the people he grew up fearing.

"I'm so glad you're ok, Iku," Madara admitted, his heart felt warm and light, and for a moment, the thought of Inaba's death stung a bit less. The sound of the bells signaling midnight could barely be heard over the rain. Madara breathed in deeply, the air was slightly salty and earthy even inside.

"Happy birthday Madara," Iku's voice was quiet, as if Madara's birthday was some extraordinary secret other clans might try to steal away. Madara snorted, before letting out a lough laugh that made his stomach ache. That's right, he was thirteen today.

"Go to sleep little brother."

A bird landed on her nest high in the trees, gently passing a flopping worm into the waiting mouths of her three chicks. The lush green leaves of the trees covered them from the sun's rays as the sounds of spring flooded over the Uchiha Main Compound.

"Good, Iku make sure you don't lose him!" Manju's voice broke through Iku's concentration, and Izuna smirked as he used the distraction to flip Iku onto his back then duck under Matsu's attack before slamming him right down on top of Iku. Slapping his face, Manju groaned as the twins lay there giggling. They accepted their defeat with good-natured glee as Izuna stood over them in amusement, his arms crossed over his chest.

"We lost, oh mighty Izuna, spare us!" Iku drawled out, reaching his hand out to the sky as if the light was fading from the sun.

"We never had a chance against your might, how foolish of us to even try!" Matsu joined in, far more dramatic than his twin as Izuna rolled his eyes and walked over to Manju who was grumbling about their lack of focus today.

"Don't be so hard on them, its so nice and warm out today, something must be in the air." Izuna smiled, unable to ignore the lightness in his chest as the warm air blew through his hair. Sighing, Manju only rolled his eyes. This was the first day in a few months that the twins slacked off on their training, the reality of war and death rumbled them so heavily they rarely even complained when Manju pushed them well past their limits, sending them home with bruises and throbbing muscles. Hell, sometimes they would even thank him. The weird little brats.

"Well, maybe I can let it go this time, they've been working hard." Manju watched as the twins scrambled to their feet and stretched, clearly unfocused on their training. This was pointless, if they weren't going to focus then it would be hard to get them to do any real work. Manju's eyes slid over to Izuna. Maybe inviting the older sibling was a mistake, it only seemed to gleefully indulge the twins' more childish side. Something he was glad did not completely vanish after witnessing war.

"So we can have the day off?" Matsu's eyes glittered with hope, and Manju shrugged his shoulders.

"Of course not, I'm not that nice." The twins groaned as Manju scoffed, "Don't be like that. Iku, go run seven laps around the compound, I'm going to work with Matsu on his Taijutsu." Both boys whined but did as they were told, Izuna watched the exchange silently before slipping away back into the compound.

The clan was calm today, everyone was out for a stroll, enjoying the warmth that spring finally passed into the air. Young toddlers wobbled about, their parents only arms length behind them as they followed their children's exploration away from the house. Some people were still in their winter gear, thick clothing with long sleeves and higher collars. Others were in their warm weather clothing, light material that still had long sleeves, but with no collar, and a wider opening in the v of the top.

It was his favorite time of the year, and Izuna did not get many chances to fully enjoy the sun on his face and the light breeze that was just the perfect temperature. He was usually completing one of the many tasks required of him, as Madara's future right hand, Izuna needed to be well versed in the chaos that made the clan function. It was exhausting, but Izuna would be lying if he said he did not enjoy it. Unlike Madara, Izuna actually looked forward to all the piles of paperwork and errands he needed to do. It kept his mind busy, it made it impossible for him to have impossible dreams and it made it easier to sleep at night.

He liked being busy. He liked when his hands were cramping as he wrote summaries of reports from the Hagoromo about the newly captured Tsuro village to give to Tajima, or when his lungs ached from training with Madara and Kotori, or when he was accepting mission after mission. He liked being busy. It did not allow all the negative thoughts to consume him and remind him that his life was ultimately on a path of painful death and suffering. It did not allow him to think about the way Inaba's body burned on the funeral pyre, it did not allow him to think about the twins growing into more capable killers every day, it did not allow him to think about the terrified eyes that stared up at him before he drove his sword through their hearts. No, Izuna liked being busy.

"Izuna!" Looking behind him, Izuna waited with a small smile on his face as Kotori and Setsuna jogged up to him. Stoic and stiff, Setsuna nodded to Izuna, but stayed a few steps behind Kotori as she greeted him.

Setsuna was originally from the Ancestral Homeland but after his parents were killed in battle, he was brought to the main Uchiha compound to be raised by the clan. He got along well with Madara and Kotori, the three of them often trained together when Madara had free time from his responsibilities but Izuna was too busy to join him.

"Hey, Kotori! Setsuna. Did you guys just finish training with big brother?" Izuna peeked behind them, as if Madara would just appear behind them. Earlier that morning, Madara got word that he had the day completely free, and sprinted off to go see Setsuna and Kotori. He was supposed to join Izuna before lunch so they could go help the twins train, but after standing outside of the house for almost an hour, Izuna went by himself.

"What are you talking about?" Kotori's smile dropped as she raised a curious eyebrow at Izuna, her short hair falling forward a bit.

"Madara said he was going to train with you this morning, and since he didn't show up to the twins' training, I figured he lost track of time." Lies. Madara never lost track of time. Especially not when it came to his brothers. A harsh voice in Izuna's mind whispered that something was very wrong, that Madara lied to him, that Madara did not trust him.

"I don't know about Kotori, but I haven't trained with Madara in almost a month now." Setsuna shrugged, small bags under his eyes suggesting a long night of guard duty. Izuna tried to stay upbeat as Kotori muttered that she hadn't trained with Madara for a while either.

"Oh, well, I must have misheard him." Izuna scratched the back of his head and gave a weak laugh. Another lie. He heard Madara perfectly, just like he always did. Every word that Madara uttered, Izuna hung from each syllable.

"That's unlike you, Izuna." Kotori folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow, "Are you feeling well? Maybe you've been taking on too many responsibilities?"

"Don't try to monitor him, Kotori, he won't listen." Setsuna's voice was totally neutral, but his eyes almost pitied Izuna.

"Well we can't have him burning out on us, then all my plans will be ruined!" Kotori laughed a bit, before putting a hand on her hip. "Anyway, the twins are full fledged shinobi now, do you think Madara will let them stay out all night? That way you all will not need to go home early."

"Is that tonight?" Izuna sighed, looks like he wasn't going to get to go to bed at a decent time after all. The bonfires could go though the night, and early into the next afternoon. Avoiding it was like trying to avoid getting wet in a thunderstorm while standing on the ocean. Madara hated them, he always complained it was too loud and no one was paying attention to security. He would go, grumble around a bit, snap at a few lazing guards and then drag his little brothers home by their ears when the adults got a little too tipsy. "I have no idea what our plans are for the bonfire, I'm sure Madara forgot all about it too."

"Do you think he'll sign up for the tournament this time?" A hopeful glint flickered in Setsuna's eyes, but disappeared before Izuna could properly see it. The older boy was one of Madara's best friends, but Setsuna, like many others, found himself in a one sided rivalry with Madara.

"Probably not, even if he did, I doubt Lord Tajima would allow him to fight in our age group." Kotori was clearly bored of the conversation, "I'm going to go meet up with my sisters for training, see you tonight."

"I'll leave too, maybe go get something to eat. Let me know if you hear anything from Madara about the tournament, after all, if he's going to tell anyone, he'd tell you." Setsuna's back was to Izuna, so he did not see the way Izuna's back stiffened. That's right, he would be the one Madara told. Izuna was Madara's right hand, the person he confided in, and the one who always had his back, no matter what.

It always made Izuna feel a bit proud when people came to him for insight on Madara. Is Young Lord Madara going vote in favor of the expansion of the Northern Training field? Does Young Lord Madara seem interested in any of the marriage prospects? All those questions that needed Madara's raw opinion, the things he would not say to their parents and peers, Madara would tell Izuna.

Or at least, Izuna thought he did.

Walking with his head down, Izuna listened as the noises of the clan got quieter and quieter as he walked to the compound gate. Waving to the guards, they did not even blink when they saw a twelve year old boy wondering out into the hostile wilderness all by himself. They did not even bother to check that he had permission to leave the compound. Madara was right, the guards were slacking off and something would need to be done before someone less capable wondered out of the gate and into trouble.

Izuna told himself that he was simply going to the river to check up on Madara. He was far too old to trail after Madara like some lost puppy desperate for attention, Izuna grew out of that phase. Yes, he had grown out of it. That's why he was going to scold his older brother for neglecting his duties, Izuna did not care at all that his brother was keeping secrets from him. Nope. Did not bother him one bit. He was not snooping. He was being responsible and keeping Madara on track of things. Just as a right hand man should.

That's why Izuna suppressed his chakra, so Madara would get a nasty shock when Izuna starting yelling at him. Not so Izuna could figure out what exactly Madara had been doing for more than half a year alone by the river. Izuna did not care, nope, it didn't bother him that Madara kept something him.

The sound of grunting and sparing made Izuna's legs bend a bit as he creeped through the thicker undergrowth. His heart was beating loudly in his chest, Madara did not notice him yet. Using his hands to part some of the bushes, Izuna's eyes landed on a dark brown haired boy. There was a dopey grin on his face as he managed to block one of Madara's kicks with his bare hands. The two boys went back and forth, meeting each other punch for punch as Izuna watched, mesmerized in the bushes.

Madara was a genius, and the only person able to keep up with him in battle were some of the more experienced fighters in the clan and the senior leaders. Not to say that Madara wasn't unbeatable, Tajima had shown the boys multiple times that they still had a long way to go despite their natural talents, but he was far ahead of the average adult at such a young age. But this brown haired kid was keeping up with Madara like it was nothing! The boy even laughed when one of Madara's punches connected, something that made Izuna wince. Even when Madara pulled his punches they hurt, but now it did not look like he was holding back at all, and this boy just laughed!

Izuna's stomach tightened, just who was this kid, and why did Madara look absolutely elated to be fighting with him? Clearly the boy wasn't an Uchiha, with that stupid round haircut and cream colored clothing. He was a shinobi, and a good one, but Izuna had no idea what clan he might be from.

There four clans that used the river as a natural border between their territories, the Uchiha, the Mushishi, the Senju, and the Morino clan. The Senju clan's features were as varied and as seemingly random as the Uchiha's features were uniform and consistant. All Uchiha's had dark hair. Black, purple, blue, or brown, it was always a dark shade that matched their pitch black eyes. On the other hand, Izuna had seen Senju's with brown hair, white hair, blonde hair, and even some with more than one color! It was strange, and fascinating, and their eye colors were just as diverse. The Morino clan was mostly known for their tanned skin and dark eyes, both features, which this boy had. Personally, Izuna had never encountered a member of the Mushishi clan, as they were small and did their best to stay under the radar.

So this kid could have been from any of the other clans, or he could be an orphan, camping out here by himself. Whoever he was, it made Izuna's stomach tighten when the two boys stopped sparing and teased each other while passing a canteen back and forth. Madara looked so relaxed, he was smiling so hard Izuna could see his teeth and the tension that always seemed to straighten his back was gone as he slumped forward lazily. Izuna had not see Madara smile like that in years. Who was this stranger that made Madara so happy, yet he hid him from the clan like a precious flower that withers faster when more people gaze upon it?

Izuna could not make out what they were saying, but he quietly retreated, the voice in his head warning him not to interfere. Something was very wrong about this situation. Why was Madara meeting a stranger so far away from the clan, the boy could be an enemy shinobi. Was this boy so important Madara would miss training with the twins, even though he promised them? It was dangerous for Madara to see anyone alone, especially if the boy was as capable as Izuna suspected. A million worries ran through Izuna's head, but instantly he knew this was not something he could talk to Madara about. Izuna had no hard proof, so Madara would deny it. He would lie to Izuna's face. Again.

That's why Izuna was going to talk to Tajima about this. Something was very wrong with the situation, it almost felt dangerous. His gut was rarely wrong when it came to his older brother, but it was still hard to knock on Tajima's office door. His hand hovered over the wood, poised to knock but unable to complete the motion. Izuna was going to tell on Madara, he was not going to give him a chance to explain. Once he told Tajima, that was it, it was out of Izuna's hands.

Still, something told Izuna this was bigger than he could handle. If Madara had not come clean to Izuna by now, then that meant he planned on keeping that boy a closely guarded secret. Izuna knocked on Tajima's door.


	14. Chapter 14

"Welcome home, Tajima." Kyoko slid the scroll in her lap shut before she rose to help her husband out of his armor. It was dirtier than normal today. Kyoko briefly ran her fingers across part of the back. He must have actually participated in the sparring matches last night. It was early in the morning, the sun just fully emerged from the horizon, and the twins were still lounging around on the back porch, waiting for Manju to come collect them.

"Where is Madara?" Tajima's voice was low, almost angry. Kyoko raised an eyebrow but said nothing. It had been sometime since Madara drew Tajima's anger, so perhaps she should have expected Madara would do something to push Tajima's buttons soon enough.

"He's still out training." Kyoko watched Tajima's face carefully, but he turned his back to her with a huff.

"Of course. I'm going to bed, the minute he gets home, wake me." With that, Tajima strode quickly off to their bedroom. The minute the door shut behind Tajima, the twins popped their head out of the kitchen, staring at their mother curiously.

"Good to know he cares about the rest of us." Iku grumbled, barely loud enough for his mother to hear.

"He could probably sense us." Matsu sighed, stepping fully into the living room, uncaring if Kyoko heard them. Turning to face her two youngest sons, Kyoko patted back over to her seat and picked up her scroll before Matsu could make off with it. When he was a baby, she had to worry about him eating her scrolls, now as a boy, she had to worry about him hoarding them. Many of her favorite novels went missing over the years. She knew it was him, even if she never saw it with her own eyes. Madara preferred tales of ancient warriors over the longwinded poetry that Kyoko enjoyed. Izuna turned his nose up to anything that couldn't be practically applied. Inaba and Iku rarely read anything at all, much to her distaste. Therefore, she could only conclude that it was Matsu who was making off with her beloved scrolls.

"You're father cares deeply about all of you, but he knows that Izuna is responsible enough to be where he's supposed to, and Manju has proven that he's more than capable at herding you two." Kyoko hummed, a small smile threatening to break on her face.

"And Madara's not responsible?" Matsu pouted when Kyoko smoothly tucked the scroll in her sleeve. She was always keeping the best books for herself.

"Your elder brother is going through a rebellious phase, so your father has to keep a closer eye on him. Tajima will most likely be the same way when you boys get to that age."

"Doubt it, that means he would actually have to pay attention to us." Iku ignored the pointed look his mother gave him, and instead picked at the material on his sleeve. Opening her mouth to scold him, Kyoko paused when there was a familiar knock on the door. The twins jumped up, scrambling to answer the door. A few moments later, the boys returned, followed closely by their guest.

"Hello Mai, its been some time since you've stopped by my home." Kyoko smoothly rose to her feet, bare feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor as she approached Mai. The woman had a few sticks stuck in her long hair. She must have come here immediately after finishing a mission. "Twins, go wake your father and tell him Mai is here."

"Forgive my sudden appearance, Lady Kyoko." Mai's eyes trailed after the two younger boys as they left. "They seem to be coping well." She didn't need to explain further. Kyoko stiffened, but otherwise did not let on to how her throat was closing and how her heart stopped functioning.

"It appears that way, but they still have a ways to go." Kyoko ignored the memory of the boys' muffled cries from their bedroom. "How was your mission? I'll admit, I was not aware that there was a matter so urgent that you needed to attend to it personally."

"You don't have to dig for information from me, my lady." Mai smiled gently as Tajima walked into the room, the twins nowhere in sight, "I am only here to report what I've learned about Madara's new little friend, and it appears Lord Tajima was correct after all."

"Madara's friend?" Kyoko quirked an eyebrow at Tajima. Clearly Mai wasn't referring to anyone Kyoko was familiar with. Shaking his head, Tajima silently indicated that it wasn't something she needed to worry about. Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

"Kyoko please leave us, we'll only be a moment." Tajima did not look her in the eye. Smart man. Kyoko could barely contain the red hot rage that washed through her chest as she was ordered to leave as her own child was being discussed. However, as the matriarch of the Uchiha, Kyoko bowed and walkd out the front door, refusing to make a scene.

"Forgive me," Mai sounded anything but sorry, "I assumed you would have told her."

"I wanted to avoid worrying her until I could confirm the brat's identity. Knowing Kyoko, she might try to take the situation into her own hands." Tajima stretched out his hand, palm up as he waited. With a small frown, Mai placed a small, unassuming piece of paper in his hand.

"It was as you feared, his name is Hashirama Senju, son of Butsuma and unofficial heir to the Senju clan." Mai wrinkled her nose like she smelled something rancid and put a hand on her hip, "Honestly of all the brats in the world, Madara picked the worst one." Tajima grunted as he read over the small piece of paper. The hand writing was sloppy, probably a tip from one of Mai's undercover sources. Currently, the Uchiha were unable to infiltrate the Senju compound and place a spy among the people, but there were some Uchiha undercover in some of the villages frequented by the Senju. The information they sent home was often minimal, but still valuable all the same.

Damn Madara, sneaking off to play with the enemy. How stupid could he be? Tajima's fingers tightened on the piece of paper. Madara was getting too old for something like this to simply be forgiven with a typical punishment. If Tajima discovered any other member of the clan sneaking off to see the enemy, regardless of their age, Tajima would have branded them a traitor instantly. However, Madara was the unofficial heir of the Uchiha, and by far the strongest in his generation. Without him, Operation Kalidoscope…

"Who else have you told about this?"

"No one, My Lord." Mai put her hand on her chest, almost offended by the accusation, "I am not some rooky who slips up and tells their mother whenever things get exciting."

"Good. Keep it that way. This never happened." Tajima crumbled the piece of paper and shoved it into his pocket, planning to burn it later.

"Of course, but what about…"

"I will handle it." Tajima growled, and disappeared from the room. He swallowed as he reappeared in the central market of the compound. Vendors were setting up for the bonfire tonight, Uchiha fans decorated every inch of the stalls. The air smelled of grilling meat and burning wood as the Uchiha, civilians and shinobi alike, smiled as they helped with preparations.

Still, Tajima felt no joy at the prospect of the festivities. He knew he needed to handle this immediately, before it put the clan in serious danger. Walking through the stalls, Tajima pretended to check on the progress of the festivities. His mind raced with the potential dangers each plan could have, and how he should approach Madara.

He would need to tell Izuna as well, since he was the one who originally alerted Tajima. What about the twins? What were the advantages to telling them? For one, it would more than likely increase the level of embarrassment and shame Madara felt. To have to look into his brothers' faces as he explained why he was playing nice with the clan that brutalized them and cruelly executed Inaba. If anything it would make Madara more compliant with Tajima's orders, having the twins there would be a stark reminder of what exactly was at stake.

It was a nice day out, so Manju decide they would work on sparing. Two against one. Manju brought his fist down, a clear shot to Matsu's exposed shoulder. Jerking his hand back, Manju retracted the blow as Iku appeared between him and Matsu, eyes burning as he viciously attacked out of turn. Clicking his tongue, Manju flipped out of the way, easily side stepping each of Iku's follow up swings. Matsu appeared behind him. Manju twisted and slammed his elbow down on Matsu's back and sent the boy into the ground. Iku appeared at Manju's side again, viciously trying to put space between Matsu and Manju. That was enough. Thrusting his heel forward, Manju could feel the air leave Iku's stomach as Iku was launched backwards into a tree. Matsu jumped to his feet, breathing hard.

"Iku!"

"Don't get distracted!" Manju phased behind Matsu, frowning a little less when the boy managed to block his kick and stay on his feet. Panting hard, Matsu readied his sword, straining his chakra to focus completely on his teacher. Rushing forward with a yell, Matsu brought his sword up but his eyes went wide. Jerking to a stop, Matsu was forced to let himself fall to the left as Iku appeared in front of him, almost getting hit in the back by Matsu's sword as Iku charged Manju. Red spun in Manju's eyes as he stepped out of the way of Matsu's attack, fingers gripping Iku's ponytail before he yanked the boy to the ground. Unconcerned with Iku's yelp of pain, Manju pinned the boy on his stomach.

Matsu pushed himself onto his knees, watching as Iku flailed under Manju. Then, Matsu paused. This was not like the other times when Manju managed to pin Iku, no, Iku was really fighting this time. He was wiggling hard, his breathing was coming in short pants, his eyes darted from side to side.

"Remember this, Iku?" Manju's voice was low, impatient. Matsu moved to attack, to push Manju off Iku, but something sharp against his back froze him in place.

"Earth clone," Matsu grumbled, annoyed that he failed to detect it. The kunai pressed forward a bit, a clear warning not to fight back.

"Correct, Matsu." Manju's confirmation was short, and then he turned his head back to the struggling Iku. The boy was hyperventilating. "Easy, you can get out of this, Iku. Just focus. Just like we practiced."

But Iku could not focus.

 _Iku's eyes burned as the deafening sounds of explosive jutsu rattled his ears. A spear sailed out of the trees, and blood erupted from Inaba's throat as his back slammed against the earth wall._

Iku wiggled harder under the pressure of the foot on his back. Foot? Whose foot?

 _"Don't touch him, Senju trash!" Iku snapped, grunting when Matsu's comforting weight was removed from his back and a boot slammed into his spine, forcing him to his stomach and pushing blood out of his mouth._

"Manju? Something's wrong with his chakra!"

"Be quiet Matsu!" Manju's voice was so far away as the sound of the spear sailing through the air and embedding it into Inaba's throat echoed over and over in Iku's head. It was like Manju was standing on the water's surface as Iku sunk deeper and deeper into the waves, "Focus Iku, remember where you are."

"I…I," Tears spilled from Iku's eyes as he could feel the pressure on his back lighten, the blood thundering in his ears.

 _The kunai slashed through Matsu's throat, and Iku's eyes went wide._

 _Dead. The kunai. The spear. Thud. Inaba. Matsu. Dead. Dead. Dead._

"Manju sensei! Stop it!" Matsu's voice, Iku wailed, and the pressure on his back was gone.

"Damn it kid!" Manju hoisted Iku into a sitting position and gripped his shoulders, trying to get some kind of eye contact. "You're fine, you're fine!"

"Stop lying, nothing's fine!" Iku wailed, his eyes unfocused, sharingan spinning out of control, his body heaving as he struggled slow his breathing. That was all Matsu could watch. Despite his teacher's warning look, Matsu ignored the clone at his back, and thrust his hand forward as it glowed green, tagging Iku on the head. Instantly, Iku's crying stopped and his head lulled forward as he fell into Manju's waiting arms. The clearing was silent for a moment.

"Honestly," Manju grumbled as he shifted Iku so he was laying on his back, Matsu watched with his face twisted in shame. He didn't mean to disobey Manju, it just happened. Standing up straight, Manju stood over Matsu with one hand on his hip, sharingan still bright red in his eyes. Matsu looked away.

"I'm sorry," Matsu winced.

"Don't apologize to me," Manju drawled, "your inability to let your brother suffer through his pain and come to terms with it is going to get him killed someday and you'll have no one to blame but yourself." Matsu flinched away from the harsh words as Manju motioned for Matsu to follow him. Hoisting himself up on a rather large rock, Matsu let one leg dangle lazily as Manju stretched his arms up to the sky.

"I hate watching him suffer." Matsu admitted out loud.

"I know," Manju hummed, "but this isn't something you can fix by knocking him out every time he starts freaking out. He has to learn to deal with what he saw. And so do you."

"I didn't see anything, well," Matsu paused, glaring at the ground, "I don't remember anything. Lady Tsabasa said it's a side effect of chakra exhaustion, so I may never remember."

"Is that so?" Manju hummed, staring so intensely at Matsu that the boy almost flinched. "You know there's nothing wrong with sharing your feelings with those you care about. If you're angry and want to hit things or if your sad and just want to cry, I won't think less of you."

"Father and Mother will." Matsu muttered.

"I thought you didn't care what your parents thought?"

"I don't!"

"Uh huh." Manju resisted the urge to smirk at Matsu pouted, clearly frustrated with his teacher's annoying habit of reading him. The kid as nowhere near as stoic as he thought he was. "Well, whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

"I know." Matsu squeezed his eyes shut and shivered a bit, "Manju, can I ask you a weird question?"

"Is it about a girl?"

"No."

"A boy?"

"No! Why would I ask you about that?" Matsu's ears burned red as Manju bent over laughing, light and airy as he enjoyed tormenting his student. "You're so weird, I'm telling Hakura."

"Hey, I'm just checking, you're getting to that age where you'll start thinking about those things."

"Manju be serious!"

"Ok, ok, what's wrong, kid?" Manju snicker, but then stopped when he noticed how, uncomfortable, Matsu looked. Panic settled in Manju's stomach, he really hoped the boy wasn't about to ask him where babies came from.

"What do you…I mean…well," Matsu was stuttering, his heart hammered in his chest as he tried to find the right words. Waiting patiently, Manju glanced over to where Iku was still passed out. Matsu took a deep breath, "Why do the Senju and Uchiha hate each other so much?"

"What?" Manju's brain short-circuited at the question, and he could instantly understand Matsu's hesitation.

"I mean," Matsu was rushing now, his words ran together, "I know we have a long history together. We've been at war with them since the time of the founders, and they're the only clan that can really match us in battle. I know we hate them because they've killed a lot of our family, but I don't know why else. Everyone just always says the Senju are evil and murders and bastards but no one ever really tells me why I'm supposed to hate them. And Iku says that a Senju woman and her guard killed Inaba even though he posed no threat to them. They must have really hate us to kill someone who couldn't fight back, and then try to torture Iku by killing me in front of him, but I.."

"Woah, woah, breathe!" Manju sighed, cutting Matsu off mid sentence as he ran his fingers through his hair, "You always ask the most complicated questions." Manju looked up to the sky before shifting his body so he was fully facing Matsu.

"Are you mad?" Matsu's voice was small, as if he was expecting Manju to blow up at him. "I know I'm supposed to know this, but,"

"No, no, its fine. I'm just…trying to think of how to say this properly." Manju rubbed his neck as Matsu looked at him with wide eyes. Those black eyes that were tainted with exhaustion, probably from staying up at night asking questions no ten year old should ever ask himself. "Why do the Senju and Uchiha hate each other? You always ask the most complicate questions don't you? And you're only nine, I'm not looking forward to when you hit your teenage years."

"It isn't funny, Manju sensei!"

"I wasn't laughing, I'm honestly concerned!" Manju scoffed, before rubbing his hands over his face, "Look that's a big question with a lot of history, and I'm really not sure how to explain it so that you can understand."

" I'm not dumb!"

"Man, you're touchy today." Manju slammed his fist down on Matsu's head, "Shut up and listen to your sensei!" they were silent for a few moments, before Manju signed, "Maybe it'll be easier if I start small. Do you remember why we took over Tsuro?"

"Because the Shimaru tried to take it for themselves. If they did that, we wouldn't be able to travel easily to the Land of Wind, plus we would lose a lot of customers and supplies we get from that town."

"Well, that's part of it. But it also has to do with the Shimaru attacking you and your brothers.

You see, if we didn't do something after our own clan members were attacked, it makes us look weak. Those who normally wouldn't challenge us would view us as soft and try their luck at taking us down. Our allies wouldn't respect us, and our enemies would band together to end us. When we fight, we show our strength, we warn others to remember who we are. There are only so many resources to go around, so we have to be selfish and keep what we can to ourselves."

"Wouldn't it be better if we shared with the other clans? If we work together then maybe we could find a better way." Matsu frowned, but Manju only shook his head.

"In a dream world, maybe that would be the solution, but it isn't possible in this reality. When you look back to the legends of the founders, the founder of the Senju robbed the Uchiha founder of something that was rightfully his, and then banished him to walk the earth in shame and plagiarized the Uchiha founder's power. The Senju claimed it as his own, and that's how the Senju became the clan of one thousand skills, by stealing them from the Uchiha. That's only the story of the founders, but the Uchiha constantly found themselves the target of the Senju's greed. Our jutsu, our land, our resources, and in more recent times, the very kekkie genkai that defines who we are.

"The Senju are strong and they love deeply, but at their core they are nothing if not stubbornly goal oriented. They are so single-minded and driven by a goal that they will do anything to achieve it. If a Senju decides he wants peace, he would negotiate, and kill, and oppress all those around him without looking back to achieve that goal. The Senju are willing to do just about anything to protect the clan. A Senju would kill their best friend, sibling, parents, even their own child to see their dreams become a reality. Some Senju decided taking my father down was his mission, and used a child to achieve his goal. Mao Senju decided she wanted to punish your father and give the Senju and edge in future battles, so she cruelly murdered Inaba. You haven't had enough encounters with the Senju yet, but as you do, you'll see what I'm talking about. If a Senju wants to protect something, they won't give up until every threat is eliminated. The Uchiha are a threat, and they'll stop at nothing to get rid of us. So we have to get stronger and protect ourselves. As long as the Senju exist, the Uchiha cannot escape the agony that comes with losing something we love. I know its hard to understand, but you need to understand Matsu, despite some may say, peace between the Uchiha and Senju isn't possible. Even if we make a treaty with them, we cannot trust that they are sincere."

" Madara says that peace is possible, he says we just have to be willing to show our guts to each other." At least, that's what Matsu heard him saying when he thought the twins were asleep. Manju snorted. "Iku believes him."

"So if that Senju woman that killed Inaba in cold blood showed you her guts you would be willing to live peacefully beside her? You would full heartily forgive her, and allow her near your remaining brothers? Around your friends and family?"

"No…I guess not." Matsu admitted, guilt settling in his gut, but Manju patted him on the back.

"Madara is a prodigy that shines brighter than anyone else, but he is still naïve and new to the world of shinobi. He has not seen all of the horrors the Senju are capable of. I thought losing one brother would be enough for him to understand he can't trust anyone outside of the clan, but I was wrong. He's stubborn. And we both know Iku isn't the brightest. He idolizes Madara, just like I used to idolize my elder brother, and just like I did back the, Iku would follow Madara into any stupid thing Madara decides to do. The difference is Iku won't always be able to get himself out of trouble like Madara can."

"I'll be there,"

"You were there when Inaba died, what use were you then?" Manju did not regret the harshness of his words, the way Matsu flinched away with tears in his eyes. The conversation was much deeper and darker than Manju wanted, but perhaps it was best if he imparted this knowledge to Matsu now. "Your brother is strong, and you are intelligent. You will not always walk on the same battlefield, so don't kid yourself into thinking you can ever walk beside him. Iku is good and hopeful and bright, but he's a hopeless romantic when it comes to his dreams and goals. Its your job as his younger brother to help him when he stumbles, to be his eyes when he's too passionate to see reality." Closing his eyes, Manju could see the barely visible smile on his late elder brother's face. The way his eyes stared off into the distance as he spoke of hope and determination. Snapping his eyes open, Manju frowned. Those thoughts were still painful. "I didn't do that for my elder brother, and he's dead now. So be a good student and learn from your sensei's mistakes."

"I think I understand," Matsu looked over to where Iku was resting. His eyes were shut, peaceful in comparison to the way he was thrashing before Matsu put him to sleep. Iku was in pain, because he loved Inaba, because he loved Matsu. Their deaths caused him so much agony that having someone even touch his back could result in horrible flashbacks and red eyes. And a Senju did this to him. No someone they were fighting, not someone they posed a threat to, but a woman who had no part in the battle between the Shimaru and the Uchiha decided that their existence was something she could play with. That their hearts were nothing more than objects she could manipulate and throw away. She was heartless, cruel, and evil. She was a Senju. An enemy of the Uchiha clan. Looking at his brother, Matsu carved Manju's words into the deepest part of his heart. The Uchiha clan loved more deeply than anyone else, and they suffered more than any human could imagine. Matsu vowed that he would never allow Iku to suffer like he had again, he would never let any of his brothers suffer like that. He was not a fihter, but there were other things Matsu could do to protect his loved ones.

In an instant, Matsu realized he was afraid of losing anyone else. Iku. Madara. Izuna. Manju. Tsabasa. Okoku. Ume. Kon. Kotori. Even his distant parents. The list went on and on, all the faces and names of those who belonged in his world. Matsu did not want to feel the pain of losing them. He did not want to be a puppet to his emotions, ready to fall to the ground the moment his love was cut off.

"Remember Matsu," Manju stood up and dusted off his pants, "No matter where you go in life, no matter how you support your brothers, you must never forget what the Senju have done to Inaba and Iku. To my father and my elder brother. Never trust the Senju."


	15. Chapter 15

Important A/N: I'm getting kind of fed up with all the bugs on this site, so I'm considering migrating fully over to Archive of Our Own. This story is already posted on there, but if I decide to stop updating on Fanfiction, I'll let you guys know. Thanks for reading.

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Madara smirked as his feet splashed against the water as he ran, wind whistling past his ears and weaving through his hair as he managed to just pull ahead of Hashirama in their race. He could see the finish line, a pile of grey rocks they stacked up weeks ago. His lungs ached, his eyes teared up a bit as the wind stung his eyes. They were going so fast the world was blurring around them. It was exhilarating, it was addicting. Madara never considered himself a competitive person, there were few people that could pose a serious match for Madara in the clan. He was too strong for the kids his age and many of the adults, yet too inexperienced for the members of the elite guard. It was an awkward place to be. The only real challenge he had was Izuna, and on occasion, Kotori and Setusuna could team up to give him some difficulty.

Hashirama was a perfect match. There was never a guarantee that either one of them could win, although the odds were often tipped in Hashirama's favor, but Madara would never admit it out loud. Just the thought of Hashirama pulling ahead of him awoke a satisfying sense of rivalry and competition in Madara.

There was the finish line. Two more steps! One more!

"I win!" Madara threw his head back and laughed, slowing down to a jog.

"Congratulations, now its six wins to you and nine wins for me!" Hashirama laughed, barely breathing hard.

"Don't rub it in my face!" Madara roared, and Hashirama dropped to the ground in sadness, a small cloud of depression forming over his head as Madara rolled his eyes at Hashirama's dramatics. "Oh come on, don't start that again."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to brag. I just can't help if everything I say sounds like bragging when comparing us since you're so slow."

"You jerk! I can't stand you!" Madara threw his hands up and turned around, hiding the smile that crept onto his face as he stomped over to the shore. Hashirama laughed as he followed his friend, smiling up at the sky as birds flew overhead.

"What now, Madara? Do you wanna skip stones? Or maybe we could finish making that new jutsu I was working on, my younger brother promised to help but he's always so serious."

"Jutsu is serious, you shouldn't just treat it like some game, Hashirama. Which brother was this? The one who is only a year younger than you?" Madara gulped greedily from the canteen, laying on his back and basking in the sun.

"Yeah, I wish you could meet him, I feel like you two would get along well. You're both so serious and short and,"

"I'm not short!" Madara winced when he shot up, his hands digging into the gravel on the ground. "I feel bad for him, if he has to grow up with an oaf like you for an older brother."

"That's so mean, Madara!" Hashirama whined, hanging his head and pouting, "I hope you're not this mean to your brothers, or they'll grow up without any confidence."

"My brothers are fine," Madara's voice drifted off, then his eyes widened and he shot to his feet, "Damn it, I forgot I promised to train with them today!"

"And you feel bad for my brothers, what kind of big brother forgets a promise?" Hashirama snorted when Madara pushed him out of the way, walking towards the tree line. Hashirma jumped to his feet, and blocked Madara's path. His arms were out wide, as if he was afraid Madara was going to try to run around him. "Where are you going? You can't leave without skipping stones with me!" Madara rolled his eyes at Hashirama's whining. Skipping rocks was always the final activity they did together before parting ways. It was a weird but satisfying ritual between them that always kept Madara smiling a moment longer than strictly necessary.

"Whatever, just don't mess up." Madara smirked as Hashirama laughed, not bothering to comment on how he never failed to get his stone to the other side. Launching himself to the other side of the river, Hashirama took his time to find the perfect rock. One that was rubbed smooth by the water, even, and just heavy enough that he could feel its weight barely strain his wrist.

Madara scoffed as Hashirama took his time. Already having found a suitable rock, Madara threw it up and caught it, squinted, before letting it fall to the ground. If stupid Hashirama was going to find the perfect rock for stone skipping, Madara was going to find one just as good if not better!

The boys searched on their own sides of the river, quietly enjoying the steady presence of each other without saying a word. When Hashirama found a rock that met his standards, he simply walked to the water's edge and quietly waited for Madara to stand by the water with his own rock.

"Ready?" Madara drew his arm back and spread his feet, Hashirama doing the same. The rocks splashed against the water, once, twice, three time, before Madara snatched Hashirama's rock out of the air and Madara's rock flew into Hashirama's hand.

"We both made it," Madara examined the rock in his hand and resisted the urge to groan; this rock was better than the one he picked out.

"That stone," clearly he did not do a good job of hiding his feelings, because Madara could hear the amusement in Hashirama's words "is perfect for stone skipping. Hang onto it until we meet next time."

As Madara strolls lazily through the forest, he can smell his home before he sees it through the thick trees. The smell of sap dripping out of freshly cut wood and fish roasting over hot coals made his mouth water as he picked up his pace. Leisurely walking in the front gate Madara was glad he made it back well within curfew, so none of the guards even glanced at him for more than a moment.

His feet stopped as Izuna stood before him. Waiting patiently and still as Madara walked up to him with a smile on his face. Bracing himself, Madara waited for Izuna to scold him for breaking his promise to the twins. Again. When their eyes met, Izuna ducked his head, eyes staring at the ground as he muttered a quick and overly formal greeting.

"What the matter? Aren't you going to yell at me?" Madara laughed awkwardly trying to lighten the weird mood.

"Father wants to see you. I was supposed to take you to him as soon as you got back." Madara's heart dropped in his stomach and he felt a bit nauseous. How long had Izuna been waiting for him? How long had he kept Tajima waiting? Madara knew he didn't forget a council meeting, and he was given the day off to celebrate the bonfire so he didn't miss any of his duties. Maybe there was an emergency? Maybe Tajima couldn't find Madara so he sent Izuna, and got really upset when Izuna couldn't find him.

Heaving a sigh, Madara steeled himself and settled a warm hand on Izuna's shoulder. They used to be around the same height, but over the past few months, Madara hit a growth spurt that had him shoveling every bit of food he could get his hands on down his throat. Kyoko only huffed in dismay when she realized that she would need to double her portions just to account for Madara's pit of a stomach, then dropped her shoulders in defeat when she realized that Izuna wasn't too far behind, and the twins would have her slaving away in the kitchen all day just to feed them for one meal. It was the only time Madara could ever remember his mother complain about having boys.

Now standing a full head taller than Izuna, Madara frowned when Izuna still wouldn't meet his gaze. Madara followed behind his little brother as they traveled deeper into the compound.

Not bothering to knock, Izuna slid open the door to the Council's room. Newly lit candles burned bright as the sun went down and the room dimmed. Through the walls, Madara could hear the bonfire starting, the chanting and singing of his kin as they moved through the compound. Whatever Tajima wanted, Madara hoped it would be quick and he could go enjoy the food before people started stumbling around drunk.

Stepping into the room, Madara's head perked up when he noticed the twins sitting comfortably across from Tajima. Iku's lips were pursed in confusion, while Matsu muttered to himself under his breath. As far as Madara knew, this was their first time in the Council hall. They weren't old enough to attend the clan's general meetings, and they weren't qualified to attend the Council meetings.

"Lord Father, I'm sorry I kept you waiting." Madara bowed deeply, trying to set a good example for his younger brothers as he straightened his back and walked to sit across from Tajima between the twins. Izuna lingered by the door for a moment, before taking the spot next to Matsu.

"You have been taking advantage of my patience, Madara. Luckily I had some things I needed to discuss with the twins anyway." Tajima crossed his arms over his chest, the lines in his mouth deepening. "Iku will begin training with us regularly starting next week when Manju is sent on longer missions, and Matsu will spend the two weeks traveling with your mother to discuss diplomatic relations with the Hagaromo and potentially the Hyuuga."

"What? I get to train with you again?" Iku parroted, utterly confused by the random interest Tajima was willing to grant him. Madara watched the emotions pass Iku's overly expressive face. There was shock, then happiness, and finally caution as he waited for it to be some cruel joke. Not that their father told many jokes.

"We have been receiving more mission requests, specifically for Manju's services, since the battle at Tsuro, and I can't afford to keep refusing customers so Manju can babysit you. It's a waste of his talents." Tajima's voice was level as Iku deflated and Madara resisted the strong urge to glare at Tajima for being so tactless. "Besides, Manju's asserted that you've been making progress in your training, and you've been taking your studies seriously. I'll give you this one chance to show me you're worth my efforts, but if you slow either of your brothers down, I won't hesitate to send you away."

"Right," Iku mumbled, bangs covering his eyes. Matsu wanted to comfort his twin, but held his tongue. He could feel his Father's oppressive chakra rumbling like an oncoming storm. Something was wrong. It was best not to aggravate Tajima any further.

The room drifted into a tense silence as Madara waited for Tajima to tell the twins to leave. But he didn't, and the silence continued to drag out. Iku twitched uncomfortably and Matsu remained perfectly still. Looking over, Madara tried to catch Izuna's eye, but his brother was not looking at him. Instead Izuna gazed at his hands, running his fingers over the hardened skin on the inside of his palm. Sighing, Madara could feel a throbbing sensation creep up his arm. Damn Hashirama and his freakish strength.

"Lord Father, I've been out training all day, if there isn't anything else you want to talk about, then I'd like to have some time to rest before the festival." Madara grunted as he started to stand, only to freeze when Tajima's sharingan met his eyes. Gulping, he could feel the sweat beading near his hairline as he felt Tajima's pulsing chakra wash over him. "Lord Father?"

"Sit, boy." And Madara sat. "You will sit and listen." Sharingan boring into Madara's skull, Tajima continued to talk, "You've been leaving the compound walls rather often for almost a year now, so I knew something was up but I was only able to confirm my suspicions recently." Almost as if he was hit by a hammer, Madara's body flinched back as he felt his heart thunder in his chest. Recovering quickly, Madara tried to ignore how dry his throat felt.

"Suspicions? What are you talking about, you wanted me to train more,"

"Don't lie, Madara." Izuna's voice cracked as he stared at Madara with wide eyes over the twins' heads. "I saw you."

"You," Madara's body felt heavy as he stared at Izuna, but Izuna lost his nerve and diverted his eyes. Izuna saw him.

Izuna saw him.

Izuna saw Madara with Hashirama.

But how? Wracking his brain, Madara tried to come up with a moment, a rustle of the bushes, the snap of a tree branch, any moment that he could have ignored. There wasn't one. Scolding himself, Madara could not think of a single moment he wasn't careful or paying attention. Although they may have fully thrown themselves into their fights, neither he nor Hashirama were stupid. They were shinobi. Always keeping an eye on their surroundings; terrified of being found.

"I'm sorry elder brother, but you were lying to us and you would disappear for hours…" Izuna's voice trailed off, and any sense of anger that might have been stewing in Madara's stomach vanished.

"Enough, Izuna. Be silent, this is between your elder brother and I." Tajima tilted his eyes to momentarily glare at his second born, before turning his attention back to Madara. Tamija folded his arms over his chest, "I had Mai look into that boy, he belongs to the Senju clan."

Madara knew he should have felt shocked, appalled even, but there was only a small sense of surprise. Hashirama was a Senju. Madara had his suspicions, but Tajima confirming that Hashirama was a Senju was nowhere near as revolutionary as it should have been. However, beside him, he could see Matsu stiffen out of the corner of his eyes. Iku didn't react at all.

"You don't seem surprised?" Raising an eyebrow, Tajima's frown deepened, "Do not tell me that the two of you were aware of the other's true identity?"

"No!" Madara's voice cracked a bit as he stared at Tajima with wide eyes, "I mean I didn't know for sure." Madara's mouth tasted bitter as Tajima's eyes narrowed at him.

"Hashirama Senju has killed many of the adults from our clan. He even took down Morizu in combat. It's obvious he was born with inherit shinobi talent, which explains why he's been able to push you to improve so quickly." The last few words were coated in bitterness, as if Tajima couldn't bear to attribute his son's progress to a Senju in anyway.

"Wait, if Madara didn't know who the boy was a Senju, then there isn't a problem, Lord Father. He didn't train with the enemy on purpose it was just an accident." Iku perked up, although his voice wasn't as confident as he would have liked.

"There's no way to prove that Madara didn't know who Hashirama was," Matsu crossed his arms over his chest, brows furrowed, "Since he's been deliberately hiding Hashirama from us, and lying about his location, the majority of the clan is going to take that as a sign of guilt." Iku nodded in understanding at his twins assessment. Shame settled in Madara's gut like the rocks he failed to skip across the water.

"It'll look like Madara was deliberately meeting up with the enemy, and he could have easily been trading away clan secrets at the time, or grown sympathetic to the Senju and become a double agent. He has no way to prove his innocence, and no strong defense for his actions." Izuna further explained to the twins, still refusing to look at Madara. "He'll be branded a traitor."

The words hung heavy in the air like boulders leaning on the edge of a cliff. Iku's mouth was open in shock as his lips moved to try to form words, to defend Madara or to scold Izuna and Matsu for not defending Madara too, Iku could not decide what to say. Madara could feel his heart stop. Was this it? Was he going to be branded a traitor and killed? Madara twisted his fingers into the fabric of his pants, and his eyes met Tajima's.

"I swear that I have done nothing to betray the Uchiha. I would never do anything to put my family in danger." Madara bowed so his forehead was touching the ground, "I have no excuse for my actions, but I promise that I was careful to not reveal any details of my identity to Hashira… to the Senju."

"I believe you, I know that despite our philosophical differences, I have taught you well enough that you know to put your family above some shallow companionship." Tajima let out a deep breath, "However, if we do not handle this situation carefully, you could be branded a traitor by the council. Right now, the only people that are aware of the situation are us here in this room and Mai. Not even your mother is aware of your actions."

"Mai wouldn't tell anyone, would she?" Iku interrupted, too shaken by the conversation to truly feel embarrassed when Tajima shot him an annoyed glare.

"Watch your tongue. Mai has been loyal to me since your grandfather was running the clan. She has never failed me before, and Mai would not be so careless to let information like this get out." Tajima felt his annoyance subside when Iku flinched back at his tone and nod his head. "Still, there's a chance the Senju might try to use the situation to cause a rift in the clan, they might reveal the meetings themselves to cause a divide between the main family and the rest of the clan. Madara, if you don't want to be branded a traitor, the next time you see that boy, you must prove your loyalty to the clan. You must follow him, and find some sliver of information on the Senju. That is your mission, if you truly want to prove your innocent."

"And if he should notice me?" Madara already knew the answer, and his palms were sweaty.

"Then you kill him." Tajima spat, annoyance resurfacing at the stupid question. "I would not tolerate any hesitation, he's an enemy. A Senju."

"But he hasn't done anything, he isn't a threat to me and he hasn't tried to steal any intel, I'm not even sure if he knows I'm an Uchiha. I trust him, he's a good person." Madara protested, a small fire coming back in his eyes before it was instantly put out.

"You would trust a person from the clan that killed Inaba?" Matsu's words were a whisper, but they guilt they instilled a heavy guilt in Madara. Eyes on the ground, Matsu was gritting his teeth, "Those bastards waited till our guard was down, after we had won honorably they brutally murdered Inaba just because he was an Uchiha. This boy might just be trying to get your guard down so he can kill you!" Matsu's voice rose and cracked with each word.

"Matsu," Iku leaned closer to his twin and started whispering furiously in his ear, "don't talk about elder brother like that!" With heavy eyes, Madara watched them sadly. Iku may have supported Madara's dream, but even he still held a grudge from the events of that day. Instead of mourning Inaba, it seems Matsu turned to hating the Senju. Just like the rest of the clan.

"Enough," Tajima rolled his eyes at Matsu's little outburst and stood up, knees cracking. It appeared Manju was imparting more than just his battle prowess on to the twins. Good. It would be preferable to avoid another rebellious brat like Madara. "Just to ensure your success, your brothers and I will follow you next time you meet with the Senju." The hidden threat as there, and Madara caught on immediately. Don't do step out of line. Don't put your brothers in danger.

"I understand, Lord Father," Madara glared hard at the ground. "I will do what needs to be done."


End file.
